


Write or Wrong

by Zartbitter



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Bitterness, Character Death In Dream, Daydreaming, Dysfunctional Family, Isolation, Loneliness, Magic, Multi, Pre-Canon, Road Trips, Secretaries, Underwater, Unrequited Love, Writing, farming
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-06
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-29 11:33:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 47
Words: 108,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8487724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zartbitter/pseuds/Zartbitter
Summary: Elliott Sterling, a manager's son from the upper class, wants to live his dream of becoming an author. His parents are not content with it and don't believe he can do it. As Elliott understands that he won't be a successful writer in his hometown, he packs his stuff and leaves into the blue, looking for a home and new inspiration.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> That pun is intended.
> 
> When I started dating Elliott in Stardew Valley, he made me very curious when he said that he moved into the valley just one year before the farmer then, and that everyone back home called him nuts for his writing.  
> I asked myself: Where did he come from? Why did he move to Pelican Town? What did he do before he came there?  
> And this story started forming in my head.
> 
> \- Updates once a week, usually Sunday. (Sometimes Monday or Tuesday.)  
> \- If "my" version of Elliott seems a bit off to you, don't worry: I left room for character development.
> 
> Yay, I'm now on tumblr! https://porcialexis.tumblr.com/
> 
> If you enjoy Elliott and stories about him, make sure to check out Risukage's Rose and Sunflower Series here on AO3! http://archiveofourown.org/users/Risukage/pseuds/Risukage/works
> 
> Please enjoy reading, further notes follow below.

**\- P A R T   O N E -**

_"Your ticket, Sir?" Ticket collector Gozman extended a gloved hand towards the young commuter._

  
_"Ah, yes. I have it right here", he replied, reaching into his coat pocket. Mortified, he discovered that the ticket was missing. He gasped with shock and said:_ "Elliott? Elliott, I'm talking to you!"

  
Elliott stared at his paper for a moment until he realised that his mother was calling for him from across the room.

  
"Mother." He turned his chair towards her. "I requested you to knock at my door before you come in."

  
"Would you have noticed anyway?"

  
"I would have, most certainly." Actually, he was not so sure about it. Writing consumed his whole attention. The paper and ink seemed to suck him in whenever he was in the mood. Foggy weather around Agison City, like it was on this day, worked almost every time for Elliott to get the right feeling.

  
His mother Sofia played with her long blond hair and explained: "I have your father on the phone. He wants to talk."

  
Elliott swallowed a curse down, stood up and raised his chin. It was sometimes difficult to talk to his father. David Sterling, that was his name, worked as a manager for a coffee company with shops all around the world. He was travelling much, having important meetings with investors and talking about the business strategy. David was abroad for a week now and planned to come back another three days later.  
Sofia gave the phone to her only child.

  
"Hello, father."  
"Hey, Elliott! How are you doing?"  
"Everything is fine", he stated. "How about you? Are you done working for the day? It should be evening right now where you are, isn't it?"

  
"It is. I just arrived in my suite. Today was a great day! We will open up two new Owen Brews Coffee Shops in the capital next year. With all that success, maybe you want to reconsider your decision and think about my offer again? Your position in the company would be safe forever. You are my son. Nobody could ever kick you out. And you would be good at it."

  
David's son gnashed his teeth for a moment too long.

  
"Elliott, just say yes! Damn it!"

  
"Why don't we talk about that when you come home again?"

  
"Bet on it!", David shouted into the phone, causing Elliott to hold it away from his ear for a moment.

  
"That's nice", Elliott responded, and even he was surprised how cold his voice sounded. "I'm already looking forward to it."

  
"Give the phone back to your mother."

  
"See you soon..."

  
When Sofia took the phone back from Elliott and held it against her ear, she started a sentence, but David interrupted her so loud that his son could hear him, even standing two meters away.

  
"That boy is driving me crazy!"

  
While leaving the room, Sofia tried to calm her husband down: "Honey, he didn't mean it..."

  
Then she shut the door. Silence, finally.

  
Oh, how seriously Elliott meant it. He kneaded his hand like he always did when he was upset. His father did not want to understand that his son was a different type of man than himself was. David loved money, cars, success, expensive hotel suites and his mansion. And he wanted Elliott to become a successful member of the Owen Brews Coffee Company as well, maybe even as his own successor one day. Every other job that would bring money, fame and a good reputation for the Sterling family would have been fine as well. The job that Elliott wanted to achieve was definitely not good enough. Since he was little, Elliott dreamed about being an author. He was working hard everyday to achieve his goal. His first novel had been in progress for five months now. Whenever he came home from his part-time job in the library, his desk called for him.  
That was when he started his real work.

  
If Elliott had had a choice, he would have been writing from the morning until the evening, but his parents threatened him to throw him out of the house if he wouldn't get a "real job". Any work that wasn't related to books, poems and writing was nothing of Elliott's interest, so he got hired in the local library for twenty hours a week. That was actually a nice situation to live in. The Sterling mansion was comfortable (not that Elliott needed more than his own room), he had his pocket money and the money from the library, and the work was better than everything his father wanted him to do. It could have been a nice life.  
But he could not have it the easy way. He had to have arguments with his father every time the two of them met. Sofia gave up a while ago. She was not as hot-headed as David anyway. David wanted a son who was just like the other rich boys, with lots of friends and expensive hobbies, like golfing or throwing parties.  
He couldn't have it that way either. The two of them were completely different men with different talents and expectations of life.

Elliott was okay with that fact.

  
David was not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is for the die-hard Elliott fans. If you are one, feel free to stay for lots of Elliott love. If you're not, I'd be happy if you stay nonetheless. :D


	2. Different

Elliott trudged into his own bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror for a moment. The man that looked into his eyes was nineteen years old, blessed with wonderfully smooth hazelnut brown hair, a stern expression on his handsome face. Most people thought he looked older than he actually was. Maybe that was the case because Elliott was always more mature than other boys of his age. Courage tests and other dangerous stunts had never been his cup of tea. In contrast, his skill with words was unbeaten and he never rejected piano lessons or a good book. Naturally, strange hobbies never led Elliott to have many friends. And it never bothered him. As long as he had literature, poetry and music, he was fine.

  
Even a small cabin without all the money and fame would have been okay for him. Living by himself, writing day and night, finally finishing his novel and writing more of them.

  
Elliott sighed and scooped water into his hands, dipping his face into it.

  
For a moment he got lost in his thoughts. Just a little cabin with water all around him. A place where he could be who he simply was, and not what his name implied to make him.  
Just Elliott, because no one knew the Sterling family in his new hometown.  
All he had to do was to pack his things and go.  
That wasn't quite as easy as only thinking about it, especially because Elliott didn't own a car. Even if he did, Elliott was not ready either way to make this clean cut, leaving everything behind except for his most important personal belongings.  
He grunted at his own reflection and got undressed for a short, hot shower. The mood for writing was gone now anyway. A few minutes later, the bathroom was filled with steam and warmth. For a while, Elliott was just standing there, staring at the ceiling, and let his upset mind be soothed by the water, so hot that it almost hurt, until he switched to cooler water for washing his hair. (He was much too vain to damage his hair with burning heat.)

  
Sometimes, just in his head, he made a list of the things he would take with him. First of all, lots of paper and ink, that was for sure. His warmest blanket and fluffiest pillow were important as well. A shabby cabin would not be the warmest place in winter. If possible, Elliott also wanted to take his piano with him. A box of clothes, of course, would be needed also. Especially ties – his outfit was incomplete without one.  
He would have to get rid of everything that remained.  
After boiling himself for a while, he started soaking his hair and skin with fragrant soap. Elliott let out a long sigh. Maybe he would have a small snack after showering. He already felt this tingling feeling in his stomach, a premonition of an approaching appetite.

  
What he would do after eating was out of the question. _WRITING_. Just the plain imagination sent pleasant shivers down his spine.  
The grave sound of church bells woke Elliott up from his daydreams. He opened the shower door and stuck his head out to take a glance through the window. Six o'clock, it started to get dark outside. It was around four o'clock when he had his father on the phone. The sudden realization of an exaggerated daydream hit Elliott like lightning. No wonder why he was hungry when dinner was already awaiting him. He quickly scrubbed his skin with a towel and unneeded harshness, but only dabbed his hair softly so it would not drip anymore. Five minutes and a few gentle brush streeks later, he stepped down the marble stairs down into the living-room with the huge adjacent kitchen. Elliott knew that just the dining table costed his father 120,000 Gold, each of the eight dining chairs were another 70,000 Gold. The whole house was incredibly expensive, just like everything inside. Only the finest materials and most valuable technology and furniture had been good enough for David. And it was okay for him that everyone knew it. The security service was around the house and the garden twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

  
He used to say, _If someone wants my house, they have to tug it out of my cold, dead fingers._

  
Sofia sat at the dining table, painting her nails, holding the phone between her shoulder and her cheek so she could use both hands. The stinging smell of nail polish filled the air. Elliott sometimes requested that she maybe could do it on the couch, so the kitchen wouldn't smell so bad, but she never listened. It looked like he had to eat in his room. He just couldn't stand it. His mother used so much polish on her insanely long fake nails that it made Elliott dizzy every time.

  
Not like Sofia cared or something. She probably had some of her totally important talks with one of her friends.

  
"Uh-huh, uh-huh", she mumbled, but then got a shocked expression and shouted through the entire room: "HE DID NOT!"  
It was Sunday evening, and the housemaids had their days off on weekends because Sofia insisted that she could cook for the family. Which she actually only did when David was at home. She didn't cook anything for Elliott and herself. That was okay for Elliott, he could cook by himself, but if he mentioned it towards his mother, she got angry and yelled at him because he didn't wait until she started by herself.  
He wanted to answer: _Yes, because I like to wait for dinner until midnight_ , but he did not speak up to his mother because it was useless. It was her special talent to always "win" arguments. Well, at least she thought so. The truth was that other people just gave up because Sofia was too dumb and narrow-minded to just admit what she did wrong.

  
So Elliott decided that he better started cooking. A look into the frigde showed him tasty vegetables, eggs, milk, cheese, ham and fish. Salmon fillet with baked asparagus would be perfect. The housemaids had an eye on the balanced diet of the family members. Secretly, they all knew that Sofia would serve some convenience junk most of the time, with Joja Cola on the side.  
Elliott frowned into the fridge. The employees knew that he would never even touch a can of Joja Cola. His mother didn't. She did not ask him how life was going anyway. She did want to know how work was, but never how he felt. If he maybe was angry or sad or in love with a girl.

  
Maybe it was because she gave up on her son. Or maybe she really was just ignorant and egocentric.

  
He wouldn't find out if he stared into the fridge much longer, so he closed it and heated oil in a frying pan. While he waited for it to be ready, Elliott strolled over to the aviary in the living-room. The family owned a parrot named Franklin.  
"Good afternoon, Mr. Sterling", Franklin whistled. He copied the sentence after hearing it from the housemaids countless times, greeting Elliott and David when they came home from work.  
"Good evening, Franklin", Elliott answered and opened the giant cage to caress his pet's head. The parrot bent his head and asked: "Who's a good boy?"  
"You're a good boy."  
"No, you're a good boy!"  
Elliott chuckled. "Come on, get up on my shoulder." He let Franklin hop onto his arm and pinch the skin with his claws. Elliott was already used to it. He walked through the house almost every day with Franklin on his shoulder. It was him who taught Franklin almost his entire vocabulary.

  
When he got back into the kitchen, Sofia was done with her nails and let them dry. She asked into the phone: "And what did you say?" And after a few seconds of silence: "...And what did he say?"  
Franklin randomly recited one of the lines he learned from Elliott: "From the ice they are freed, the stream and brook!"  
"By the spring's enlivening, lovely look", Elliott continued, "The valley's green with joys of hope, the winter old and weak ascends back to the..."  
Sofia's shrill voice interrupted him: "Elliott, shut the hell up!" As soon as he fell silent, she once again dedicated all of her attention to her conversation partner. "Sorry. My son always tells poems to our bird. Yes, I know that it sounds strange. ...Well, you know what he is like. Anyway, did you hear about Amanda? Hah, she's like a birthing machine, I guess! She's pregnant for the, like, 300th time or something?"  
Embarressment painted Elliott's cheeks red. The urge to snatch the phone away from his mother and throwing it into the trash afterwards overcame him. It made him so angry sometimes just what she was like. If he had to describe her with one sentence, he would probably have used this comparison: _Successful people talk about ideas, unsuccessful people talk about people_.  
"What, you mean Bartholomew? ...Can he even spell his own name? I mean, he's actually really really stupid!"  
Elliott made a grimace while he put the fish into the pan.

  
Franklin raised his voice again. "Take this kiss upon the brow!", starting to hop down on Elliott's arm again.  
"Hey, careful!" He detached his hand from the pan and moved a few steps away from the boiling oil. "You're kind of a rogue sometimes." Elliott gave his pet a kiss on the head, then continuing the poem, but only in a whisper. "And, in parting from you now, thus much let me avow - You are not wrong, who deem, that my days have been a dream..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Used poems:  
> \- "Easter Walk" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe  
> \- "A dream within a dream" by Edgar Allan Poe.


	3. Time

The next day, after a night mainly consisting of writing and less consisting of sleeping, it was time for another shift at the library. Elliott clocked in at exactly nine o'clock, a cup of coffee in his hand. He found himself craving the addictive flavor every morning: one of his rather bad habits. Immediatly, Elliott gave in to another one, reaching into the pocket of his dark blue college jacket. What he pulled out was a little mirror. His vanity made him seem arrogant and even less approachable, but he could not resist to check his hair and tie before he started working.  
Everything was fine. The accurate knot of his black tie was still in place, his hair flowing over his shoulders and chest in perfect, soft waves.  
It was time for him to take his place behind the counter.

* * *

 

Somewhere else in town, more precisely in an elegant black limousine, another man was pulling out a mirror out of his pocket as well. And everything was perfect, too. Short black hair, a prominent nose, a flawlessly shaved face. He could find no lints on the collar of his black suit or on his tie.

  
"You look perfect as usual, Mr. Sterling."

  
It was the voice of Corneel, his assistent, with his strange northern accent.

  
"Mhm." David, who inherited his vanity to his son, put his mirror back into his suit pocket again. "You know that I want to look good for my wife."

  
"Now that's what I call love." Corneel nodded. "Married for twenty years and you still want to impress her."

  
"Actually", David mumbled, "She will be bothered if there are lints on my clothes or if my hair is messy."

  
Corneel asked: "But you are happy to see your family again, aren't you?"

  
"I would have been fine with staying at Nakhon longer."

  
"Yes, too bad that we had to depart earlier, isn't it?"

  
For a few seconds, there was silence between the two men (and the driver, but he wasn't supposed to talk anyway).

  
Then the assistant raised his voice again: "Oh, would it be okay if we had a quick stop at the library? You know, this book I lent before we flew..."

  
"Why do you even lend books with all your money?", David asked with an annoyed tone, "Even as my assistant, I'm sure you wouldn't need to lend them. Oh, whatever. It's okay."

  
"Do you want to join me? Maybe we'll see your son while we're in there. Maybe you want to say hi?"

  
"I'll see him soon enough and say... _hi_...to him."

  
Even Corneel noticed that his son was a topic his superior did not want to talk about. He scratched his forehead and nodded. "I see. Well, I'll make it quick."

* * *

 

 _How to win his heart in 3 easy steps._  
Sometimes Elliott was astonished about the crazy topics some people wrote books about.

  
He raised his head to the girl standing in front of the counter: She wasn't even ugly, but very young. Probably she fell in love for the first time and wanted to do everything to get that boy. In her face, framed by blond curls, Elliott could see a somewhat disappointed expression.  
He opened the book and noticed: "You still have a week left. Are you sure you want to give this book back yet?"

  
"Yes, I am. It didn't work", she answered. Her frowning towards him caused Elliott to frown back unwittingly. Something was strange about her stare.

  
Before he could find out what it was, he found back to his professionality. "I see. Feel free to look around, maybe you want to lend another one? Have a nice..."

  
"What about you?"

  
"What do you mean?", Elliott asked. Not that he was afraid that he already knew what would follow next.  
"Are you single? You don't look like a bad choice either."  
"Good grief, you're direct. Sorry, I'm sure that I'm much too old."

  
A diabolic smile grazed her thin lips. "That's okay. Actually, I'm into older boys."  
For a second or two, Elliott just stared into her ice blue eyes. It took a lot to flabbergast him, but she did it, and she did it efficiently. He wasn't sure if anyone had ever made it so quick.  
"Well, that's nice to know, but I'm not into going to jail. Have a nice day."  
"I'll come back..."  
"Feel free to do so, but don't overdo it."

  
He watched her while she left the library, hearing a familiar voice behind him. That sneering laugh could only be his coworker Kyle. He was just a few years older than Elliott and one of the typical "nerds": the expert in the comic and movie aisles, but a bit childish as well.  
"Dude!" Kyle just stood there laughing for a few seconds before he could go on. "That girl was sick!"  
"Oh boy, she definitely was." Elliott turned his chair towards him. "I mean, she was thirteen. I saw her library card."  
Kyle repeated: "Did you hear her? She'll come back. Hoo, scary. Guess you're having a stalker now."  
"I need a sip of coffee. I'll be right back."

  
Elliott stood up and turned to the kitchen. As he almost was there, he heard another voice he knew, just greeting: "Good morning!"  
He immediatly went back to the counter again and couldn't believe his eyes. Corneel Vestergard, his father's assistant, approached the counter, grinning wide. Elliott took a second look, just to be sure, but that annoying grin was unmistakable. It was so remarkable, in opposite to his ordinary business look: black suit, glasses, short brown hair (actually a toupee because Corneel was bald but it made him look more professional in his own opinion).

  
Seeing Elliott, he raised his hand and said: “Oh, if it isn't the young Mr. Sterling! Nice to see you!”  
“Corneel, what...” He cleared his throat and started again. No reason to forget his manners. “Good morning, Corneel. I'm a bit surprised, to be honest. Aren't you supposed to be in Nakhon with my father?”  
The assistant's grin disappeared. “Unfortunately, we had to depart earlier. Did nobody tell you?”  
“No, nobody told me.” Elliott's eyebrows sank down onto his eyes. A dark claw of fear cramped his heart. “Did anything happen to one of you?”

  
Trying to appease, Corneel raised his hands. “Good Yoba, no! Everything's okay. There was a tsunami warning for the Sansurin region. Nakhon is situated directly on the coast, so we had to leave immediatly, or else we would have been in great danger.” After a few moments, he added: “It was on TV worldwide, you know.”  
“I never watch TV, but thank you for the hint.”  
“Your father wrote a message to your mother. We were in a hurry. Well, it was night around here when he sent it.”

  
Elliott made a grimace. “She still sleeps when I leave the house. Anyway, it's good to know that you arrived safely. I'm glad. Are you here to give back the book I recommended you?"  
"Yes, I am! It is an amazing book, so exciting! These thrilling peaks, interesting characters, and this ending! We even visited some of the sights mentioned in the story."  
What Elliott had picked was a thriller, because he knew Corneel was into this kind of books. Coincidentally, its story took place in Nakhon.

  
Corneel even added: “Why should you ever even join Owen Brews? You are so good when it comes to books!”

  
“Excuse me?” Elliott was not sure how he should react, because he didn't know what his father and Corneel talked about regarding their reoccurring quarrel.

  
"Oh, I mean...I'm sorry. I did not mean to interfere, for it's none of my business."

  
"No, it's okay if you have an opinion." A smile unfolded on Elliott's lips. "Just make sure your superior doesn't find about it."

  
The assistant remained silent, just a swallowing could be heard from him.

  
"Yes, it's a frightening thought, isn't it?", Elliott added, extending his hand towards Corneel. "May I?"

  
"Oh! Yes, of course." Corneel handed the book over. "I guess I better get going. He's waiting outside in the car. But you know me, I'll be back soon and get another book."

  
"There is no such thing as "too much reading", so we'll be happy to greet you again."

  
There was a smile on Elliott's face when he said goodbye, but as soon as Corneel closed the door, his concerned expression returned.  
Time to get prepared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really try to create lively characters with strengths and weaknesses, with flaws and talents. Even if some characters may seem very negative at the moment, be sure: Each and every one of them has their backstories, and I will light up those of at least David and Sofia one day.  
> But first, more Elliott for you.


	4. Dream

The rest of Elliott's work day had been rather ordinary.

  
At least no more girls trying to get him. In the course of the day, Elliott had to think of her and girls in general a few times. Love was something that he saw rather occupational. He wrote and read about love every now and then, but it was nothing he encountered in the real life. It was just not fitting in, and even if – Elliott had had two girlfriends until this point, and it ended awful both times. He maybe was too self-sacrificing and romantic, or maybe his ex-girlfriends didn't appreciate his love enough. Whatever it was, there was no further time to think about it. Elliott grabbed his key and unlocked the door, stepping into the hallway of his home.  
He could already hear the sound of tableware through the door while he took off his Oxford shoes and hung his jacket. After a quick look into the huge hallway mirror, Elliott entered the living room, finding his parents sitting on the dining table in the kitchen on the left. Talida, one of the three housemaids, served steaming lasagna behind them.

  
She turned around, showing her cute face, and greeted: "Good afternoon, Mr. Sterling."  
"Good afternoon, Mr. Sterling", Franklin repeated.  
Sometimes Elliott thought that he wouldn't even need to write if he got one Gold every time someone mentioned his name. But it was the housemaids' duty to be polite, so it was pointless to think about it.  
"Hello", he answered and took his place, next to his father and opposite to his mother. "Mr. Vestergard already told me what happened. Will you go back to Nakhon soon?" While Elliott waited for the answer, he scrutinized him. He seemed calm and relaxed. Nevertheless, his voice was deep as approaching thunder and always added something threatening to his appearance.  
David explained: "No, we won't go back for the next few months. We'll settle the rest via phone and e-mails. The most important things are the contracts, and we've got them signed."

  
Talida put the plates on the table. "Enjoy your meal", she said and then started cleaning the kitchen.

  
Elliott watched how a smirk grew on his father's face. Then he continued: "It's a great feeling, you know."

  
"Excuse me?"

  
"To get work done. Every time we sign contracts for new coffee shops...it's uplifting." David took a sip from his glass before he added: "That's a feeling you will never know." He faked a theatrical sigh. "So sad."

  
So that's what he was aiming for.

  
"Huh..." Elliott smirked now as well. "Pardons me to disagree, but I will get to know that feeling."

  
"Really? How come so?"

  
"That's easy to explain. I won't sign contracts for coffee shops, but with publishers for my books. It will happen some day."

  
"Some day? In ten years, maybe?"

  
Sofia interrupted them: "Hey, stop quarrelling! We're eating!"

  
David gave in: "Yes, dear. We'll discuss this later."

  
"So how was your flight?", Elliott wanted to know.

  
"It was so-so. I was annoyed at first because we had to leave so promptly. The rest was okay."

  
"Hell breaks loose right now in the Sansurin region, I suppose."

  
His father nodded, his mouth full with lasagna. "Of course", he then added, "Maybe the opening of the new stores could be delayed because of this catastrophe. ...Which would be bad. It depends on how hard the tsunami hits."

  
"As long as you get the money, you'll be fine." Elliott clenched his fist under the table, forcing himself to remain calm. David took a deprecating look at him. "What exactly are you trying to imply?"

  
"Oh, nothing much. There are only people dying out there...that's all."

  
"Stop teasing me already. There's nothing I could do against their death. If I tried, I probably would die as well. Do you want this?"  
"Father, of course not. That's not the point. Sometimes, you are just missing a bit of empathy."  
"I'll tell you everything that you are missing when we are done eating."  
Sofia hissed at them. "Do you know that you are unbearable sometimes? Both of you! Darling, Elliott is right. Everything is about work for you. That can be annoying." She raised her index finger, looking at her son. "But your father is partially right as well! He is a good worker and he needs to be worried about his assignments. No more arguments now!"  
She wanted to start chuckling, but remained quiet. Her two men actually had very similar mimics, but were not aware of that fact. Right now, the guilty look in their faces was exactly the same. Although their faces as such did not look alike, their expressions did. The way they raised their eyebrows and opened their eyes wide in shock, or when they were smiling with just one corner of their lips – David and Elliott had much more in common then they wanted to admit or even were aware of.

  
"Okay", she said then, "How was your day at work?"  
Elliott explained: "Oh, nothing special. It was nice as usual."  
"What about your boss?", Sofia asked, "Has she been around lately? I always forget her strange name."  
"You mean Miss Lionore? She'll be at the library tomorrow. I hope that the others will clean up properly before they leave in the evening. Like I already told you, her company is not very pleasant if she is upset. She's very strict."  
David said: "Strict bosses are the best ones. Probably they are even the only good bosses. The lash ones are useless." He took a look at the plates and noticed: "Looks like we're finished. Talida, would you please put the rest into the fridge? I'll have another portion for dinner."  
"Right away."  
Sofia and David started talking about something trivial while Elliott stood up and fetched a snack for Franklin. He let him hop on his arm again and fed the parrot with grains from his hand, worrying what would follow next.  
Elliott could hear the scratching sounds of the chairs on the kitchen tiles behind his back.

  
"Elliott, about what I said earlier..."

  
He turned around. His father just stood there with an expressionless stance and face.  
"Yes?"  
David stared into his eyes from across the room. "I sometimes think you tend to misunderstand me."  
"And what leads you to this particular conclusion?"  
"I want you to be happy with what you do."

  
"Oh..." Elliott's heart made a jump inside his chest, but he didn't allow himself to show any emotion. "If that isn't interesting..."

  
His father went on: "But can't I at least expect you to get work? What is so hard about getting a job?"

  
"Pardon me? I don't understand the question. I'm working two jobs. What do you expect? A third one?"

  
"Elliott, please. You can't call twenty hours a week a "job". Especially not with this tiny bit of money you are getting for it. And sitting on your desk all day scribbling into your books isn't "work" either!"

  
"Father..." He ignored that Franklin nibbled on his hair and ear, although it hurt a bit. "Working is not always about money. I do what I love. And about your disrespectful comment regarding my writing: Of course I can't make money with it yet. But I will. You just need to let me. No, even further, you need to trust me." His breath became shorter. Elliott's ribcage felt incredibly tiny. Never in his life he would have admit it, but he feared his father, mostly because he was unpredictable. Extreme actions didn't shy him away, they even motivated him. His son's biggest fear was that he would be thrown out of the house one day, all of a sudden.  
"To trust you?", David repeated.

  
Elliott agreed: "Yes, because I can make it as an author." It came out much quieter than he wanted to say it. Something unsettling happened before his eyes. David's expression changed slowly from a bland stare into a growling, raising his hand before he slapped it onto the dining table abruptly.  
Talida made a small jump behind him, but David didn't notice. Instead, he shouted: "Wake up from your daydreams! You want to make money? Go out and make it! There are tons of people who write out there. Let's take one thousand of them. Only two out of these thousand make it at most. Why, of all of these people, do you think you can be one of these two?"  
"First of all, I have the passion you need to be an author. I don't mind staying up day and night if it's necessary. Also, I have enough imagination to write more than one book. My ideas fill a lot more pages. If the first one isn't as successful as I hope, I've got enough stamina to try again and again. And I have the guts to risk everything. No matter how hard it is or how hopeless my situation looks, and if I'm feeding on bread and water for weeks – I will never falter."

  
"Wow, that sounds romantic. I'm almost touched by your idealism." David put his hands on his hip, then saying: "Have fun feeding on bread and water for the rest of your life, because nobody will read your books until then. It doesn't matter if you falter or not. If you don't, you will still fail. Again and again."

  
Sofia stood up and touched his arm. "David, that's harsh! Don't you think it's enough already?"

  
"Be silent! Didn't you share my opinion once?"

  
"I know this writing stuff is not what we expect him to do, and I know that he probably won't be able to live off it. But he will see for himself if he fails, so stop it already."

  
Both of them kept staring at their son, trying to figure out what he was thinking. The disillusioned look on his face fascinated David, but scared Sofia. For about twenty seconds, Elliott just stood there, staring into the emptiness with eyes wide open.

  
It was Franklin, the parrot, who broke the silence. As so often, it was a line from a poem he was caroling: "I balanced all, brought all to mind..."  
"The years to come seemed waste of breath." Elliott, still in a distant stare, went on with a monotone whisper: "A waste of breath the years behind...in balance with this life, this death." Suddenly, his expression cleared up as if nothing happened. He put Franklin back into the aviary while he said: "Okay."

  
"What's okay?", David wanted to know.

  
"The fact that you will never be satisfied with what I am. Even if I succeed, it's useless. I can live with that, because I won't do anything else than writing just because you think a Sterling isn't supposed to be an artist. I'll go upstairs now." Elliott once again showed the grin that was characteristic for him and his father: only one half of his face was smiling. The other one remained serious, and the smile didn't reach the eyes. "I've got work to do..."

  
While he went up, David called after him: "Don't you think that I let you join my company if you suddenly notice that you need money!"  
"Oh, don't worry." Elliott put his head around the corner again and repeated: "Like I already said, I only do what I love. That means I would never join a company like the one you work for."

  
Then he was gone.

  
Elliott pressed a hand onto his mouth as soon as his parents couldn't see him anymore. He didn't want to gasp for air too loud, and he was unsure how he should feel. On one hand, he said what he was thinking about his parents' expectations and was proud of it. Even they should have understood that Elliott meant it, once and for all. On the other hand, Elliott was furious with rage. His father's words rammed a dagger into his chest. It hurt incredibly bad. He did not know that David hated his writing so much. Sometimes, Elliott expected that he would amaze his father as soon as he published his first book. That was not the case, obviously.  
He sneaked into his room and locked the door before he slumped onto his chair and loosened his tie.  
A look onto his open notebook made him hiss, quickly covering it with his pen case.

  
In a few minutes, he would start writing, but Elliott knew that he needed to calm down first. After he took a few breaths, he stood up and locked himself in the bathroom, although he knew that nobody could come in. The pleasant sound of water in the sink distracted Elliott from his anger and pain a bit. Then he held his wrists under the ice-cold water and studied his reflection again. His white shirt matched his skin, being paler as usual. Elliott looked furious, his hair a bit messy, almost like a lion's mane. An annoying tension in his back caused him so knead his broad shoulders with still wet hands, making his shirt go transparent where he touched it. It didn't matter. There were enough tailor-made shirts in his wardrobe.

  
As soon as Elliott was relaxed enough, he once again took his place behind his desk and uncovered his notebook. He just needed for his talent to unfold. No matter how bad his mood was, there was happening something inside of him and in front of his eyes when he looked as his texts. Elliott's imagination made the letters dance – it was something he couldn't explain. Pictures of the book's protagonist formed in his mind, and his head went flying.  
At least that was what happened usually.

  
Elliott stared at the letters, but the only thing he could see was...well, the text he wrote. He forced his brain to provide pictures of the architect with the beret on his head, going to the northern countries by train.  
Nothing happened. It was useless, no matter how hard he tried. The letters remained letters and no pictures formed in his inner eye.  
"Oh, come on", he whispered, leaned back and looked up to the ceiling. Maybe a train would do the trick. After all, trains had a lot to do with the setting of his book.  
There it was. A railway platform with a magnificent antique train. Elliott tried to make it a colorful one, but it remained black. At least he wanted something interesting to happen there. Anything that would fuel his creativity would be fine.

  
This was a rather deserted railway platform. Nobody showed up. There were no heartfelt goodbyes or lovers embracing each other after they finally met again. He couldn't even see tourists who just didn't know the way.  
"This can't be!", Elliott said, louder this time, closing his eyes and massaging his temples, his elbows on his knees. He had had writer's block every now and then. Every writer knew it, it was annoying, but also normal.  
But this was different, a blockade of a whole new quality like he never had experienced before.  
Horrified, he covered his book again, knowing that it was no use at this moment. Elliott felt too weary to play the piano as well, so he just rolled himself up onto the bed.  
Deep within his heart, he somehow knew that he would not finish his book in this house.

  
He found it to be a pleasant thought. The unsettling thing was that he didn't know where else it would be. If he moved out, where should he go?  
His Claymore sword, hanging on the wall opposite of him, leaped out into his view. Initially, he bought it for a convention, but he kept it afterwards. It was heavy, but still sharp. Elliott never trained much, although he never excluded the possibility that he would maybe need a sword some day. Eventually, he would encounter monsters if he left the city.

  
But this wasn't important yet. There was enough time to ponder about it when he actually planned moving out...or when he was thrown out of the house.  
With eyes half closed, he fell into a drowsy state, neither awake nor sleeping. An irrepressible weight pressed Elliott's body down onto the mattress. Being caught in his half-consciousness, pictures started to emerge in his mind again, finally. They had nothing to do with the book, but Elliott was too sleepy to bother. The situation that unfolded before his inner eye was lovely as well.  
He could see waves and a beach, and the fantasy was so clear that Elliott thought that he even felt the salty air in his lungs. For a few moments he just stood there and let his face be kissed by the sun.  
A smile grew on his lips as he went towards the raging waters, unbuttoning his shirt and carelessly throwing it into the muddy sand.

  
A grey wave hit Elliott's feet. He kept walking on until he stood tiptoe, the water now reaching his bare shoulders.  
After one last deep breath, he dived into the sea, still smiling. His hazelnut brown hair formed beautiful waves underwater.  
Shimmering corals and fish appeared before his eyes, but still very far below him.  
Deeper...he needed to go deeper.  
The feeling of tremendous weight oppressing his body was gone. Elliott moved in the water for a minute or two, swimming as agile and deftly as a fish, weightless.  
All of a sudden, his eyes started burning. It felt familiar somehow, as if he witnessed it somewhen in his life already. Before he realised what was going on, tears of joy ran from his eyes.  
But then he knew what happened.

  
He felt true, heartfelt delight.  
Elliott turned onto his back and let himself sink deeper into the darkness. The sun was only a mere shimmer above the surface. His mouth opened to take a deep breath. As his lungs filled with water and his eyelids became heavy, he could form one last thought:

  
_I'm home._

 

 

His consciousness turned back in just one second and scared him up from his bed abruptly. One moment, he was floating in the sea, the next moment, he sat on his bed with a hand on his throat, panting for breath.  
Finding back to his senses, Elliott remembered something he once read in a book: It is impossible to die in one's own dreams. So that was why he woke up so suddenly.  
He found the dream somewhat scary. Going into the sea, drowning and being happy about it, calling it his home.

  
On the other hand, living by the sea was quite a lovely thought.  
Not that Elliott lived over 700 kilometres away from the ocean or something.  
Eventually this fact was something that reasoned his fascination for the water. During his youth, Elliott had seen many places around the world. His family went for vacation four weeks a year, two weeks in summer and two in winter.

  
If he was asked for suggestions, he always wished for somewhere near the sea. Of course he couldn't have it every time because his parents wanted a bit more variety in their destinations, but he never wanted to leave if they finally arrived at the beach.  
Elliott decided that maybe poems about the ocean could fuel his creativity again.

 

 

But they didn't.  
He spent his afternoon reading and daydreaming about the sea without any success. It bugged him to know that there was nothing he could do but to wait until he could write again.  
"Good morning. Why are you pouting like that?"

  
Elliott looked up from his cup of coffee as he sat in the kitchen the next morning. David sat down next to him, placing butter, slices of bread, and a glass of jam on the table.

  
"I can't write. I've got a bad case of writer's block."

  
His father raised his eyebrows and asked: "It is because of what I said yesterday?"

  
"Yes, it actually is."

  
"Your quick-wittedness never ceases to amaze me, but I already experienced you a lot better with words."

  
"Father, it's just that I did not know that you actually hate my writing."

  
David shook his head while he spread butter on his slice of bread. "Oh, it's not that I hate it. If it was your hobby, everything would be fine. That's what writing should be. Something you can waste a bit of your time with."

  
Elliott answered: "It is more to me, and that's what you hate. You can be honest with me." He took the last sip from his cup of coffee and stood up. "Whatever. I'll go brush my teeth and then I've got to go. I'm late anyway. Oh, I'll come home late also. I'm going for a walk after work, looking for inspiration."

  
When he put a foot unto the first step of the staircase, his father commented: "There's just one last thing you should consider."

  
Elliott stopped moving, wondering: "What would that be?"

  
"Just ask yourself how you want to live your life. You have not enough own income to do your own thing. Or if I express it differently: Your occupation is "son". Even if you don't want to admit it, you live off my bank account. And I won't give you money forever. What will you do then?"

  
"Wait and see." Without any further answer, Elliott left the kitchen, implying that he already had a plan.

  
In fact, he had no idea himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I already said it, but I once again want to say thank you for all those helpful comments.
> 
> Used poem:  
> "An irish airman foresees his death" by William Butler Yeats.
> 
> Music is a huge source of inspiration for me. This chapter gives me feelings of the song "Visions" by Haken.  
> But there are enough (mostly upcoming) scenes where I imagine "The sound of silence" by Simon & Garfunkel playing in the background, haha. Sorry for the meme, but it's true.
> 
> So, vibes of fishy Elliott and swordfighting Elliott here, feels good, at least for me.


	5. Chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It sounds too good to be true, but Elliott seizes his chance anyway.

He rushed out of the house five minutes later.

  
His way lead him over pavements covered in wet leaves. Autumn had laid its hands upon the country. A cool breeze disarranged Elliott's hair. Out of habit, he already looked for the comb in his pocket. It was there, of course. It always was. He started growing his hair at a very young age, he couldn't even remember when exactly. While his classmates carried chewing gum in their pockets back in school, Elliott always had had a comb in his reach.

  
The library was only a few hundred metres away from home. Elliott unlocked the backdoor and stepped into the reception room.

  
There wasn't anything exciting, only a small kitchen and a simple table with six chairs.

  
His four coworkers already sat at the table.

  
"Good morning", Elliott greeted, "Excuse me, I'm a bit late."

  
Kyle answered: "Everything's okay. We still have enough time until we open. There's still coffee in the pot. You want some?"

  
"Would I ever reject this delicious treat?"

  
"You wouldn't." Kyle chuckled. "Wait, I'll serve you."

  
Elliott hung his jacket and stepped over to the table. "Is everything prepared? Or is there anything important left to do until Miss Lionore arrives?"

  
Akira, one of the female colleagues, fiery red hair and glasses on her nose, explained: "I'd be thankful if you could do one last quick tidying in the aisles with the children's books. The rest is all done."

  
"Good. By the way..." He took a look at the kitchen clock. "Are the preschoolers still appointed for 11:00 A.M.?"

  
"Yes, they are. I'll handle them." After a short pause, Akira added: "As long as I don't have to deal with the boss so much..."

  
Elliott gave her a surprised look. "She can be capricious for sure, but she's not a bad person at all."

  
Akira tied her long hair into a pigtail and bent her head. "She only likes you because she knows she will make profit off your books one day."

  
"Is that so? Well, even if that's the case, I can live with that. Many booksellers and librarians should make money with my works." He drank his coffee in one go. "Okay, let's start...as soon as I've done my hair. Maybe her mood won't be so bad today."

 

 

Later in the morning, Elliott found himself cleaning up in the children's section. Every now and then, he wondered if children's books would be something nice to write, but he turned down the thought every time. That wasn't what he was made for. What Elliott wanted to create was a timeless classic, something the readers would love so much that they would read it at least two times. He knew that this was a rather pompous goal, but that was fine with him.  
There was something that Elliott learned very early in his life as an aspiring author:  
His writing would make him either incredibly rich or it would end him very poor.

  
The secret was that he would embrace his fate either way.

  
"Ah...Mr. Sterling!"

  
Being startled by the sudden interruption of his daydream, he quickly turned around, realising that he just stood there staring at a wall for a few minutes.  
"Miss Lionore!", he stuttered, "Good morning!"  
They scrutinized each other for a moment. Elliott's outfits were eccentric for sure, but only half as crazy as those of Viducia Lionore, his boss. Today, she was wearing a gigantic hat in an iridescent blue on her grey bun (she was something about sixty years old). The buttons of her black blouse were obviosly made of precious gems, as each of them had another dazzling range of colors. Black skinny jeans and bright purple pointed ankle boots completed the look.

  
She crossed her legs and bent her head towards her employee, giving him an analytic look out of her light green eyes.

  
"Good morning", she whistled.  
Elliott heard that tone before. Knowing that he would be scolded now, he looked down onto his shoes, embarressed by his own behavior.  
But instead of roasting him with words, she asked: "What happened?"

  
"Eh? I mean...pardon me?" He looked back into her face. Until he even realized that his boss was actually worried about him, Viducia added: "You look horrified. Is it about your book?"

  
"It actually is. Miss Lionore...how did you know?"

  
She laughed with her bell-like voice. "I know enough writers who are very passionate about their work! What else could unsettle you that way? So tell me...what's going on?"  
"I've got the worst case of writer's block ever. I mean, I look into my notebook and nothing happens. It is hard to explain, but it is definitely an unlovely feeling."

  
"I'd like to talk to you in private. Would you please follow me into my office?"

  
Elliott objected: "I'm not done with tidying up yet..."

  
"Leave it!", she said, "The preschoolers will mess it again anyway." Viducia went off in a dynamic demeanor and called over her shoulder: "Come on! Chop-chop!"

  
"Right away!"

  
He hurried after her into the back office and up the stairs into a tiny office with a mahogany desk and two chairs. It lacked any decoration. Even the only window was very small.  
Viducia didn't spend much time there anyway. She also owned two museums that consumed most of her time. That was why she only dropped by occasionally.  
"Sit down", she said, and both of them took their places opposite of each other.  
"Thank you", Elliott answered.

  
"So it's a real bad case of writer's block, you said?"

  
"It is. I feel like I unlearned how to write. Rationally, I know that I can't force my creativity to work. I just need some time and a pause from writing."

  
"Yes!" Viducia crossed her arms on the table. "You just need a pause and some time for yourself. It will help you for sure."

  
"Miss Lionore, I am not sure, but...are you trying to imply something?"

  
"Listen up. Mr. Sterling, you have been here for a few months now, and your work satisfies me. You remind me of myself. I was just like you when I was your age. Ambitious, aspiring...I wanted to live the dream, but nobody let me. Therefore, I wish you to feel better. Take a week off, look for inspiration, visit another city if you want to. You can take my second car."

  
Elliott blushed and looked down on his lap. "I am sorry, but I did not understand what you just said."

  
His boss leaned forward and shouted at him: "I said: Take a week off!" When she leaned back again, she added in a normal tone: "You haven't had any vacation since you started, and it's almost November. Take some of it, or else you'll have too much next year. Oh, and I was serious about the car. I've got a small van I don't need at the moment. If you want to borrow it, I'll take you to my house after work. Ha, you probably thought I was going to ground you because I caught you daydreaming. That guilty look on your face tells me everything I need to know."

  
"Your analyzing skills are incredible."

  
"And your daydreaming is your worst habit. I wish you could stop it. But you're good at what you do, so whatever."

  
Elliott skipped what she just said and objected: "A week off is nice, but your car is too much. That is a generosity I cannot accept."

  
"Ah, is that so? So how will you spend your week at home?"

  
He breathed in but thought about his answer a bit too long. "I will probably work out. It takes effort to keep this appearance."

  
"Sure", Viducia scoffed, "Then you will try to write again, and then you'll work out again because you still can't write. And so on, and so on. Break out of your habits! You just have to buy some gas for the van, that's all I ask for."

  
"...Oh dear."

  
"You are here until 1:00 P.M. today, right? I will stay until then also. That is ..." She took a quick look at her wristwatch, "...one hour and fifty-two minutes from now. Talk to me about your decision then. And now get out of here, I have to make some phone calls."

  
"Okay." Elliott stood up and went to the door. Before he left, he turned around. "Miss Lionore?"

  
She raised her head from the telephone again. "What is it?"

  
"...Thank you."

  
Her smile was so soft and warm like he had never seen it from her before, like the sun itself shone out of her eyes.  
"Leave", she said with an ice-cold voice.

  
Trying to comprehend what just happened, Elliott hurried down the stairs again, running into Kyle when they both tried to get around the same corner.

  
"Dude", Kyle said, pulling the word over three seconds, "Did the boss just roast you?"

  
"You know what? That woman, I swear it to the gods, is insane."

  
"I know, right? She's one of those ladies who can give you the nicest smile while chopping your body into pieces. One moment she's the best boss in the world, and poof! Suddenly she's ice cold."  
Elliott sighed. "I have to go back to work again, or else I'm done for. By the way, I'm having a week off from tomorrow on."

  
"Oh, okay. One week...what?"

  
"I don't realize it myself. But I have to think about how I will spend my week." He went off to the counter and he knew that he probably made a silly face. As if he had to think about what he was going to do. He played it shy in front of Miss Lionore, but he would go road tripping for sure. A van was just what he needed. First, he would take the keys and say "thank you" for probably a million times, then he would get the Claymore and his own stuff from home and then he would buy gas and equipment.  
Where Elliott would go then was nothing he had to ponder about.

 

 

Without being aware of it, he managed to not space out again for the small rest of his work day. It was something he couldn't prevent, and it happened almost every day at least once for a few minutes. Elliott himself did not know what he looked like then, but his first girlfriend once described it as "falling into a state similar to unconsciousness with an apathetic expression and a distant stare".  
Her actual words were "Stop doing this, it's creepy. Are you even here or are you in your own little world when you do this?"  
At least she was right with her latter supposition.  
Elliott left the counter and strolled into the backoffice, encountering Miss Lionore who strut down the stairs.

  
"Mr. Sterling, are you coming or what?"

  
"I'll be ready in a minute!"

  
"I knew you are much too smart to reject my offer. Get into your fancy frock coat, I've got more stuff to do."

  
The "fancy frock coat", how Viducia called it, was a dark red one today, and Elliott combined it with dark green jeans, a tie of the same color and a white button down shirt.  
When they walked side by side, they probably looked like one of those wacky designer couples.  
Elliott said goodbye to his coworkers (who were quite surprised about his sudden vacation), got into his clothes and joined Viducia on the way to her car. It was a stylish black convertible with only two seats and very neat on the inside, almost like a demonstration car.

  
"Ah, autumn is a nice season", she said while she started the engine. "What a wonderful range of colors the leaves create...it amazes me every year. What do you think?"

  
"It is beautiful indeed, but the humid air makes my hair go limp. That's why I usually stay inside in this particular season."

  
The way the engine roared revealed that Viducia was definitely a car lover. Elliott knew that she had neither a husband nor kids. Obviously she spent her the saved money, energy and time on other expensive hobbies.

  
"I see", she answered, "I get annoyed by long hair very fast. But if you like yours, why not? And it looks so soft."

  
A perky smile graced Elliott's lips. "It is unbelievably soft. Sometimes, I catch myself, stroking it while I'm lost in my thoughts."

  
Thirty minutes later, they arrived at a gorgeous mansion on the other end of the city. It was not huge, but the monitoring devices around the wall and the gate indicated that its owner had a lot of expensive things inside of it. There was a pretty garden with colorful flowers and a perfectly mown lawn as well. It looked like a nice place to spend time. Viducia parked in front of one of the two garages, and she and Elliott got out of the car.

  
"Okay, listen up", she explained while she grabbed her keys. "Do not touch anything in that garage, or else you're fired. Just look...and ask me, if you want to know something."  
"Uh, I see."

  
"Good." With a press of a button, the second garage opened automatically, revealing a light grey van. It looked sturdy, but it had two or three minor damages in the varnish.  
Elliott made an unimpressed face, but he was actually very excited.

  
This was the car that could possibly seal his fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I already stated, it sounds too good to be true, but...who knows if Elliott's luck will last any longer? 
> 
> _______________________
> 
> "The secret was that he would embrace his fate either way."  
> I think that's something that summarizes his character quite good. As I already let him state himself, he won't quit writing just because it doesn't go so well or because his privileged familiy doesn't suppose him to write.
> 
> _______________________
> 
> Oh boi, Elliott's hair is probably really really fluffy. My better half has got Elliott-like hair, and I can't get my hands out of it, even after all the years of our relationship.  
> The thought of Elliott being lost in his daydreams, playing with his hair, makes me chuckle. :3
> 
> _______________________
> 
> Viducia is once again a strange character, and she won't get any more "normal".  
> A song that would fit her a bit could be "Cockroach King", once again a Haken song (yes I love Haken and their music, and I will note their songs as inspiration many times).  
> (And no, not because of the cockroach but it's such a crazy song)


	6. Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our protagonist starts his journey, but he's not heading for Stardew Valley.

For a few moments, Elliott and his boss just stood there, admiring the van and the chances it brought with it.

  
Viducia explained: "It is not the most beautiful car in the world, but it is reliable and robust. In fact, it is bulletproof. You did not know that, but I use this car when me and my friends go for a monster slaying spree."

  
"Did you just say _monster slaying spree_?"

  
"I do not look like the typical adventurer, do I? But it's a nice hobby. It's fun! If you encounter monsters, this is the car that will eventually save your sorry butt. It can go off-road, of course, so it gets you out of every terrain. Is killing monsters even a topic for you or do you want to stay on the official highways?"

  
Elliott scratched his chin, thinking about which way he wanted to take in order to get to the beach. "I plan staying on safe roads, but I will prepare myself for battles. I don't know what awaits me though."

  
"Then you'd maybe like to take a look at this." Viducia unlocked something that looked like a typical cabinet for tools or other car utensils. What the cabinet revealed was a collection of weapons: guns, swords, daggers, even a battle hammer.

  
"Oh my. Miss Lionore, I never expected that you are that experienced in combat."

  
She once again demonstrated a laugh, high as a bell. "Like I already explained, my girls and I love it. I may be old, but I know how to have fun. Do you own a weapon?"

  
"Yes, I have a Claymore at home."

  
"Ah, a good sword if you have enough power to wield it. It's heavy, but forceful. Here, take some of these." She opened a drawer and explained: "I always carry a few bombs with me for unforeseen incidents. Cherry bombs are enough in most cases, for example if you want to get rid of obstacles blocking your path. Then, it's good to have two or three bigger bombs. They deal a lot of damage, but you have to be careful when using them. I recommend a distance of ten metres or more between you and the bomb. For a cherry bomb, five metres are enough. I'll pack a few of them into a box for you."

  
"That's kind of you. Many thanks."

  
"You're welcome. If you need, I can also lend you an axe and a shovel. An adventurer always needs an axe. The reasons are quite obvious. You can make campfires with the wood you get. A shovel can dig you out of the mud, if you really get into mud so deep that even a 4x4 car like this can't go on."

  
"I would appreciate it", Elliott agreed, "I will return everything to you."

  
"I hope so. This stuff is incredibly valuable, except for the bombs. As long as you have fun, I know that it was worth it. And...I trust you. If I didn't, I wouldn't have told you all those things."

  
_I trust you._  
Shivers ran down Elliott's spine. This sentence caused him to feel happy somehow.

  
Viducia asked: "Do you have a notepad with you? You maybe want to take notes of what I say next."

  
"A good writer always has his notepad with him, if he suddenly gets an...uh...idea." Elliott sighed. "At least that's what I hope to happen soon." He pulled his notepad and a pen out of his coat pocket. "Alright, I'm listening."

  
"If you expect the possibility of battle, it is important to be prepared for injuries as well. You probably aren't a very experienced fighter, although I guess you are quite skilled. If something happens to you, you need a first aid kit. Make sure it contains: gauze pads, bandages, adhesive tape, an antiseptic cream, ..."

  
"That's quite a lot", Elliott observed a few minutes later.

  
"Each of these items could possibly save your life. Remember that your phone won't have signal everywhere. If you are in the wilderness, you probably won't get any signal at all. You need to help yourself if you are in danger. It's all fun and games until something bad happens. I would already be dead if my friends wouldn't have been at my side." Seeing Elliott's surprised face, she appeased: "But you want to stay on the safe streets, so it's very unlikely that you even encounter monsters. Just promise me that you will come back."

  
"Yes...you could I reject a kind request like that?"

  
"You are a sap sometimes, Elliott. And I will just call you Elliott from now on. Someone who drives my baby is no "Mister" anymore. Don't you think you can call me Viducia! I am still your boss. Take the keys and have a look inside while I pack the bombs for you. The documents are in the glove compartment."

  
She handed the keys over and went off to the cabinet again while Elliott unlocked the van and sat onto the driver's seat. He was indeed used to much more comfortable cars, but he would sleep in the load room anyway. Luckily, there was a passage between the driver's cab and the load room.  
Who knew if he would suddenly have to escape from something in the middle of the night.  
He checked the glove compartment and found all important documents, even with Viducia's phone number for emergencies.

  
The rear door was opened and Viducia shouted in: "I'll place the axe, the shovel and bombs right here, be careful with them!"

  
Elliott turned his head towards the passage and answered: "Good, thank you. I guess I better get going."

  
"Alright." Viducia opened the driver's door and shook Elliott's hand.

  
He didn't see much as he took her hand because he had touched it many times already. Only a few impressions of her upcoming dates and duties flew over to him.

  
"Have fun", she said.

  
"I certainly will."

  
"There are three empty canisters in the load room as well. Feel free to use them, depending on how far you want to go. The tank is only half-full at the moment. I'll open the gate for you. Stay safe and...see you soon."

 

 

His father awaited him in the kitchen, using his laptop, writing e-mails.  
"Ah, Elliott. Hello. We had stew for lunch, there's still some in the fridge."

  
"Hello." Elliott filled a bowl with the stew and put it into the microwave while he asked: "How was your day?"

  
"It was boring." David stretched his arms. "I can't wait to finally get back to work tomorrow. I didn't even want those days off, just because I still should have been at Nakhon."

  
"Now that you say "days off"..." His son cleared his throat and proceeded: "I took some time off, too. I will go road tripping for a week."

  
"Huh? Hey, not bad, but...how can you go road tripping without a car?"

  
"Come here...I will show you." He pulled the curtain of the kitchen window aside.

  
David's eyes widened with shock. "That rancid car on the driveway...don't tell me that is yours."

  
"Not to worry. I only borrowed it."

  
"From a rapist, or what? The only thing that car misses is "free candy" written on the side. Look at this ugly...oh, whatever. You are so stingy when you need to spend money on anything that isn't something to wear..."

  
"Dad, it's for ONE week. And it doesn't look that bad. It's an ordinary grey van. Is our camping stuff still in the attic? I need my sleeping bag and a few blankets."

  
"Sure, I'll help you if you want."

  
"You would...?" Elliott decided that it would be cleverer not to discuss now. "Of course, thanks! I'll just eat my lunch and then we'll get started."

  
They chitchatted about this and that while Elliott enjoyed a tasty meal. Although he tried to hide it because it wasn't visible at all, he couldn't deny that he was definitely a gourmet – he loved good food and lots of it. One of the many sins he allowed himself every day.

  
"How are you going to survive out there?", David asked, his chin resting on his fist.

  
"I will probably eat in restaurants once per day. If I actually get lost, I'll have my Claymore with me."

  
"If you get lost? Where do you plan on going?"

  
"The Gem Sea is where I want to spend my time. Where else do you think my heart could lead me?"

  
"The...Gem Sea?", David repeated, giving his son a suspicious look, "That's incredibly far away from here."

  
Elliott wondered: "So what? I'll arrive tomorrow."

  
"You are not going to take a bath in there, aren't you?"

  
"You're acting strange...but to answer your question: I probably won't. It's too cold."

  
David did still not stop staring at him. "Good. Now that you're done, let's go grab your equipment."

  
As they wanted to go up the stairs, Elliott spotted his mother in the living-room, with the telephone on her ear, like so many times before.

  
He raised his voice: "Mother, may I..."

  
"Ugh, wait a second. I'll be right back." Sofia gently placed the phone on the couch, stood up and yelled: "Elliott, by the gods, haven't I told you ten thousand times that I forbid you to interrupt me when I'm on the phone?! Damn it!" She sat down, took it back into her hand and proceeded in a normal tone: "Sometimes I wonder if Yoba likes to play pranks on me."

  
"But I...oh, forget it. It's not like you won't see me for a week or something..."

  
David, standing behind him, said in a quiet tone: "Let it be...first, we get your stuff. If we are done and she is still not willing to talk to you, just drive. Maybe she will be sorry then."

  
"Are you serious? She wouldn't even be sorry if the war with the Gotoro Empire was her fault."

  
"That's true, and it makes me angry."

  
"But you still...how do I put it...love her, don't you?"

  
"That's a question no parents want to hear from their children. Mind your own business."

  
Elliott fretted: "That was no mean or unfriendly question. I was just concerned. Oh, whatever. Why do I even bother?"

  
Talida crossed their way and greeted friendly.

  
"Talida! Hello. It's good to see you", Elliott said, "May I ask you for a favor?" He knew that it was a pointless question because that was what the housemaids got paid for, but he never left his manners behind towards them. "Would you please pack me a lunchbox? I'm going to drive quite far away and I'd like to have some of your delicious food on my way."

  
"Of course. What would you like to eat?"

  
"I'd like to have two hard-boiled eggs, three apples and some sandwiches...one with cheese and one with ham. And would you please get one crate of water out of the basement? Just place it in the hallway, I will pick it up then."

  
"Right away."

  
"Many thanks!" While climbing up the ladder into the attic, Elliott considered: "Well, at least I won't starve."

  
David suggested: "It might be a good idea to take your fishing rod with you. There's plenty fish in the Gem Sea."

  
"It is a good idea indeed. It should be around here somewhere..."

  
He took a look into the typical attic: There were lots of boxes with festive decoration and Elliott's old folders from school. He went into the corner with the camping equipment.

  
"When I come back, I'll look through my old class photos, but I don't have time for that right now. What do we have here? This is just what I need. Let's see...a sleeping bag, my fishing rod, blankets...hey, what a coincidence! There's even a giant box of matches. May I take them with me?"

  
"Sure", his father said, "I'll just buy new ones before we go camping again. Take what you need."

  
"I don't need much, but at least I want to be warm. Would you please carry three of those blankets? I'll take my fishing rod and the sleeping bag."

  
Elliott spent another hour packing the van. The first thing he grabbed in his room was his hair brush, then a toothbrush and a traveling bag full of clothes, together with one pair of sturdy boots and another pair of his usual Oxford shoes. Just because he went road tripping didn't mean that he could allow himself to look untidy. Then, of course, his notebook and ink.

  
"That's all", Elliott observed after he packed everything into the load room, the Claymore in his hand.

  
"That's not quite much", his father pondered next to him.

  
"It doesn't look much, but I will grab some stuff on my way. The first-aid kit, to say it precisely. Oh boy, I hope I won't need it though."

  
"I hope so as well. Just come back in one piece, the rest can be handled with money. And I really hope you get the ideas you need. ...I really do."

  
"What? Father..."

  
"I still hope you will come to me and say: _Dad...you were right. I really should stop writing and join Owen Brews._ "

  
Elliott exhaled, growling. "Father, I swear to the gods, if you bring this topic one more time..."

  
They were interrupted by Sofia, standing under the entrance door of the mansion, shouting: "What in the world is going on here?"

  
"Mother..."

  
She whizzed over to her son and took his face between her hands, giving him a deep look into his eyes. His body stiffened because he was not used to being touched by his parents, and it made him somehow uncomfortable.

  
He couldn't even remember his last hug.

  
"Elliott! Who do you have to hide from? What did you do?"

  
"What do you mean?"

  
"Did you commit a crime? Where did we go wrong? Why, Elliott? Why?"

  
"Mom, I did not do anything! I don't have to hide from anybody!"

  
"Really?" She took her hands off his face. "Why do you pack your stuff into this rapist van then?"

  
"Would you please...stop connecting this car to crimes of any kind? Thank you. I'm going travelling for a week."

  
"But your birthday is in four days..."

  
Elliott admitted: "I didn't even realize it until now. But we will celebrate it when I come back home again."

  
Sofia grumbled: "Why do you leave me alone? David starts working again tomorrow, Elliott goes on a journey...that's not fair!"

  
"It doesn't even matter if I'm home or not. We just leave each other alone. If I want to talk, you're on the phone, watching TV or out shopping. If I raise my voice anyway, you scold me and you don't want to hear it. The three of us don't work like a family anymore."

  
"But...that's not true!"

  
"It is not?" Elliott looked into the somehow disillusioned faces of his parents. „Well, you have one week now to ponder about whether I'm right or not. Say Talida kindest regards for the proviant, if I may ask this favor of you. I will see you soon...“

  
„Son.“ David scratched his chin, just like Elliott did when he was unsure. „Come...here.“

  
After a few moments of hesitation, Elliott actually approached his father, slowly, carefully.

  
They hugged each other with stiff arms.

  
_This won't do._ Elliott tried to suppress the bitter thought, but it did not work. _It's too late for you to approach me._

  
He disengaged the connection, disturbed by his own dark thoughts, and murmured: „I've got to go. Goodbye.“

  
„Have fun out there, and...stay safe.“

  
Sofia still looked disturbed. Maybe she finally understood what Elliott meant. „See you soon. Don't do dangerous stuff, and call if you need us. We can get you out of everything.“  
„Thanks for the offer.“ Elliott managed to smile again. „I promise you, I will take care of myself. Bye!“  
He got into the van, started the engine and let the van roll off the driveway.  
Just one last look into the rear mirror...  
The Sterling mansion, a beautiful house in gothic style, sat enthroned on a lonely hill, enclosed by high walls of dark grey bricks.  
His parents still stood on the driveway.  
If Elliott looked close, and if he wasn't mistaken, it looked like they were having an argument now.  
Once again, he grabbed the thought he had when his father hugged him.  
_It's too late._

 

 

Another three hours later, Elliott had been driving on the highway for a while already. Before he got there, he picked everything up that his boss had recommended, as well as canisters full of petrol. Bottles of saline solution quietly clinked in the background.

  
It was already dark outside, but Elliott decided to drive at least another two hours because it was only 5:00 P.M. and he had his lunch late anyway. His way so far was a peaceful one. While he was at the gas station, he checked a map he found in the car and finally decided where he actually wanted to go. His destination was a city named Twofall, directly located at the coast of the Gem Sea. There were nearer cities he could have aimed for, but Elliott knew that there was a very famous museum about marine research in Twofall, and he had enough time, so he could as well drive a few hours longer.  
Time flew as Elliott sung along to the radio. Singing was actually one of the things he enjoyed a lot, but he prefered playing piano over it. He didn't like it when somebody could hear him singing, although his teachers always certified him a beautiful singing voice.

  
Things were easier back then.

  
Elliott used to be the spokesperson of the class, although he didn't belong to the popular kids, but everyone knew that he was good with words and the teachers liked him. So basically his classmates used him if they wanted to force something. He was always aware of it, and he was fine with it because it did not make him any circumstances. If Elliott wanted to be heard, the teachers listened. If he had any objections, they thought about what they could do better. Getting attention was never a problem for him, although he did not request it very often. For example, he could have dispensed with the many love letters he received from both girls and boys. Because he was too polite to ignore them, Elliott responded to each and every one, but rejected almost all of them.  
His mind drifted a bit back into the present again as he thought about his second talent. Whenever Elliott touched someone's hands with his own, he could sense their emotions and sometimes even bits of their thoughts. It had always been there and Elliott didn't know from whom he could have inherited it. Because nobody believed it anyway, he kept it for himself. And he enjoyed when someone pretended to be friendly although Elliott could sense that they actually didn't like him.

  
A pain in the back snapped Elliott out of his memories. The hard seat of the van strained his muscles.

  
Only one hour had passed, but he decided that he just would have dinner a bit earlier than he had planned.  
There was a restaurant at the next exit. Elliott parked the van on the deserted, poorly lighted parking lot in front of it. It looked a bit shabby and really small, but he wanted to look at the menu at least, pinned onto a board next to the entrance.  
He got out of the car and was hit by a wall of disgusting smell.  
It became worse as Elliott approached the restaurant, and then he recognised the stench: old frying fat, causing him to turn around before he even saw the menu, jumping back into the van as fast as he could and racing away with squealing tires.

  
How happy he was that he had asked Talida for sandwiches.  
Elliott was mocked for it several times in his life, but he couldn't stand anything that smelled unpleasant, like experiments in chemistry lessons, wet dogs or, in this case, fried food.  
He couldn't help it. His biggest love, after writing, was everything estethic. What he desired was good design, lively surroundings and delightful scents.  
A few exits later, Elliott left the highway into a forest that would lead him into a small village ten kilometres later. In the Ferngill Republic, _village_ could mean anything from a deserted ghost town to actually normal villages. Especially since the war started, many men had left their home. Young women went to the cities, trying to find work they needed to feed their families.  
The old people were left behind, sometimes with their grandchildren.

  
After half of the way, the street lead into a deep forest and turned into something that was not much more than just a dirty trail without any asphalt or even markings.  
Pitch-black darkness encircled Elliott, only torn apart by the two rays of light emitted by the headlights.  
He did not expect that the area was so rural, only a few minutes away from the highway, and so he decided to look for an inn in the village where he would arrive soon.  
An unsettling feeling reached out for Elliott, touching his shoulder with crooked old fingers, creeping into his sore back.  
"There is no reason to feel unsafe", he said to himself, hoping that the sound of his own voice would calm him down. "You will reach that village in a few minutes. And then it's time to rest. Just because there is no proper road here, just this narrow...uhh...path...doesn't mean you're in danger."

  
Elliott sighed and actually felt a bit better.

  
"And tomorrow, you're already there. The Gem Sea..." His voice was only a mere whisper. He was a bit ashamed because he knew that it was pathetic to talk to himself or even to be scared.  
"See? Everything's okay."  
He allowed himself another sigh.  
"Everything's..."  
A humanoid shape appeared in front of the van, all of a sudden.  
It was too late to stop the car. Before Elliott even realized that there was someone emerging out of the dark, the van's underbody vibrated for a moment.  
After two or three seconds of pure shock, he hit the brake as hard as he could, pressing a hand onto his chest afterwards.  
Elliott's hands started shaking with panic. For a moment, he even thought about driving away. Most probably, nobody even noticed out here.  
As he finally realized that he just ran somebody over, he jumped out of the car, but not without taking his sword with him.  
Just in case.

  
Because he had not stopped immediatly, he had to run back, not knowing how far. The van was quickly out of his sight due to the darkness.  
"I am so sorry!", Elliott shouted when he approached the place where it happened, as he saw something glistening on the ground. "I am so...huh?" He stopped his movement.  
What he found was definitely no body.  
Elliott bent down and picked something up. It resembled a black stone and it emitted an unpleasant aura, pecking Elliott's skin in an unnatural way.  
He had seen it in books before and knew that this was object was called a "void essence".  
His heard sank as he gripped what that meant.  
"Shadow brutes", Elliott whispered and started to run back to his car.

  
It was too late.

  
They already got him surrounded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Sometimes I wonder if Yoba likes to play pranks on me."  
> Ouch.
> 
> _____________________________________
> 
> So I gave Elliott a second talent besides his writing. I think it fits good and it had been one of my headcanons for a while. It will become more important later in the story.
> 
> _____________________________________
> 
> I hope it's understandable what I meant. There were shadow brutes in this forest and Elliott ran one of them over, killed it and found the loot.
> 
> _____________________________________
> 
> Most inspiring song for this chapter: "Prologue" by Thank You Scientist.


	7. Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The involuntary adventurer makes a mistake, meets old friends and goes tripping again, this time in another way.

Black monsters stepped out of the gloom, resembling shadows with grotesque, rigid faces. They looked actually harmless, but Elliott knew that there wouldn't have been any chance for him if he didn't take his weapon with him.

  
He calculated the distance between him and the car. Ten monsters would hunt him down in no time if he tried to escape. But if he could decimate their number...

  
Elliott had no other choice than to turn the odds. He attacked the brute standing the nearest to him, managed to hit it twice and rolling behind it afterwards, landing a strike so critical that it killed the monster immediatly.

  
The circle was broken and the rest of the monsters approached Elliott from the front. He knew that he was just lucky with the first one and would only be successful with slaying through the wall of enemies.  
Now, two of them attacked him at once. The rest waited in the shadows to come at Elliott one after another. As soon as he killed one, the next one attacked. That happened fast, but Elliott did not stay unharmed either as he could feel several cuts on his arms. At least his chances of winning slightly grew, and the monsters did not overpower him yet.

  
He got tired too quickly though, and sensed that he should have practiced fighting more often. Wielding the Claymore exhausted him. With every of his sword strokes, his arms burnt and grew weaker. His will to survive forced him to carry on. Pictures of his parents appeared in Elliott's mind. He could see them so clearly. The concerned look on his father's face when Elliott left in the afternoon, and the fear in his mother's eyes when she asked him what happened.

  
They had only one child – and no matter how much they mocked their son in the past and made fun of him and scolded him, Elliott knew that they wanted him to come back home again.  
He for himself wanted to finish his book even more than he wanted to come home.  
He was actually that bitter, but the thought helped him to mobilize more power for slaughtering those monsters.

  
As only two of them were left, Elliott's hits became too slow. One of the shadow brutes attacked quicker than Elliott could even find the power to raise his sword. A stinging pain hit him on the left side of his belly.  
No time to look at it. Adrenaline rushed through his veins, immediatly slaying the monster down that hit him.

  
Elliott stumbled backwards. His view became blurry for a moment, and he could feel that his shirt was drenched with blood. The raving pain shortened his breath.

  
The last shadow brute came at him.

  
In this moment, Elliott understood that running was his only choice. There was no way he could keep his defense up.  
He had no idea how he should make it back to the van, but he ran like never before. The pain creeped into the background of Elliott's mind as long as he ran.  
There it was. He fiddled around the keyhole with the car key and needed a few tries until he could stick it in and unlock the doors. Elliott threw himself in and kicked the gas pedal as hard as he could.

  
First, he needed safe surroundings.

  
Then he would check how bad the situation was for him.

  
What a sign at the highway declared as a "village" were at most seven or eight houses in the middle of the forest.  
It was not hard to see that nobody lived there anymore. The wooden houses were rotten, with holes in the roofs and lacking most of the windows.

  
No inn, no doctor, no help for Elliott.

  
He stopped the car, let his head sink unto the steering wheel and let the roaring pain take control for a minute or two, and he hated himself for it. This one mistake was an engraving one. If he had practiced more, his sword wouldn't have been so heavy to him...

  
If he had this, if he had that...Elliott's thoughts became too slippery to grasp them.

  
There was no way he could drive any further, so he locked the doors from the inside and crawled into the load room with weak knees, unbuttoning his shirt on the way.  
Elliott grabbed one of the blankets and sat down on it, leaning his back onto the car. The cold metal touching his bare skin made him shrug, but that was his smallest problem in this moment.  
After he took a deep breath, he looked down on himself. There was a cut, fifteen to twenty centimetres long, starting left of the belly button between his ribcage and his hip, almost ending on Elliott's back. It did not seem to be very deep, but blood constantly seeped out, and it hurt terribly.

  
He forced himself to breathe deeper. It cost him more effort than it should have. The emergency box he had packed was just in the reach of his arm, and Elliott pulled it closer. Remembering what he needed to do now was hard for him.  
The clinking bottles of saline solution reminded him of what was important now. Elliott ripped off the sealing of one of them and rinsed the wound with the solution, not caring about the fact that he swamped the van.  
It was probably not the first blood that this floor had seen.

  
He unsealed a pack of gauze pads with trembling fingers and spread some of the antiseptic ointment on it before he pressed it unto the injury as hard as he could. His bare flesh felt like burning under the firm touch, causing Elliott to cry out in pain. Once again, he had to remind himself to breathe deeper.

  
He allowed himself a few moments of rest, but he knew that he needed to hurry. Elliott wrapped a bandage around his torso tightly, hoping it would stop the bleeding.  
Something he recognized as a package of painkillers leaped into his blurry view. It promised a fast relief of pain, and Elliott's biggest wish was a bit of peace. Two tablets rolled into his hand and down his dry throat just a few moments later.

  
He guzzled a whole bottle of water afterwards.  
Now that the most important steps were done, it was time to call for help.

  
But his eyelids were unbelievably heavy...

  
Elliott closed his eyes to collect a bit of energy he needed to get up onto his feet again.  
Two minutes, then he would grab his phone.

 

 

The sun shone into the loadroom when Elliott opened his eyes again.

  
He just sat there for a while with his eyes open just a bit and waited for any impression, realizing that he had passed out in the evening and still hadn't called anyone.  
Every single part of his body hurt (the painkiller probably wore off already), every muscle felt sore, and an insane cold crawled into each of Elliott's bones.

  
No wonder, because he still sat there shirtless.

  
_A piece of trash floating in a chilly winter breeze_ seemed like a good metaphor to him if he tried to describe his current situation and what it made him feel like.  
At least the bleeding had stopped. He couldn't see any blood leaking through the bandage.  
And daytime meant he was safe from monsters now, if only from the dangerous ones.

  
The air in the van was sticky and Elliott decided to take a breath outside. Crawling on his knees brought him to his travel bag of clothes. He got undressed and checked if he got any more wounds he needed to take care of. There were scratches, mostly on his arms, but nothing dangerous, so he changed into black jeans and a dark blue shirt without patching himself up any more.  
Bright sunlight dazzled his eyes as he opened the rear door. As soon as his eyes could stand the sun, Elliott climbed out of the van, carefully, because he felt dizzy and he didn't want to strain his injury.  
In the daylight, the forest looked actually lovely and not scary in the slightest.

  
The only unsettling thing was a trail of dried blood that led to the van.

  
Moving forward in a sluggish demeanor, Elliott went around the car and took a look at his reflection in the sideview mirror.  
His complexion reminded him of the color of the car itself as his cheeks were white as a wall and he imagined an actual hint of a greyish touch.  
Dark circles framed his eyes. Elliott decided that he wouldn't drive the car in his current condition and would spend his day resting. He knew that he should look for a new destination also. Twofall seemed unreachable now.

  
But first, breakfast and a nap.

  
Like every morning, Elliott craved his coffee, but of course he couldn't get any. His mood was terrible, and he didn't even notice that he was constantly pouting. Talida's ham sandwich made him feel just slightly better. He sat down in the moss a few metres away from the car, leaned his back onto a tree and let his cold, aching body be warmed up by the sun.  
Snoozing in the pleasant warmth killed the morning in a few blinks of an eye.

  
Time did not matter on that day.

  
Elliott went back into the van and locked it for a longer break. An apple was his only lunch.

  
Because he already felt tired again, he laid out two blankets to isolate himself from the cold floor and crawled into his sleeping bag, rolling the third blanket into a pillow afterwards.

  
When he closed his eyes, he saw a younger version of himself, sitting on his bed in the middle of the night after a bad dream.

  
No matter how often it happened, Elliott always panicked although he rationally knew that it was just a dream. An unrestrained hammering in his chest made his hands shake uncontrollably.

  
He had a lot of nightmares back then, reaching the peak when he started going to school.

  
The doctor said that he most likely had problems with processing impressions.

  
Doctors in general said a lot about him. Elliott had been a problem child in his own way. Not that he freaked out or started hitting people or that he cried as soon as he couldn't have it the way he wanted.  
But, most ironically, he did not speak anything besides "yes" and "no" until he reached the age of three, giving his parents a suspicion that he might be autistic. What he, of course, was not. Elliott himself couldn't remember, but he was told that he suddenly started talking in complete sentences one day.  
Then they feared that he might have epilepsy, because he interrupted his actions back then already from time to time to stare into the emptiness. The doctors said that he probably had "absence seizures". At least they said so until they found out that Elliott was just daydreaming.

  
Nobody could help him, because there was nothing to help him with.

  
He was an intelligent and curious child, he was just a dreamer, overwhelmed by life and therefore a bit difficult to handle.

  
Before Elliott could think of his childhood any longer, his dream changed. The person sitting on the bed was not himself anymore, but an old friend. Never in his life would Elliott fail to recognize him, although he couldn't see the man's face because he sat there with his head bent, his beret covering his eyes.  
His surroundings changed as he stood up from Elliott's bed, getting off a train in a landscape filled with snow.  
He raised his head and showed his grey eyes.

  
Zayre Percival, protagonist of _Camellia Station_ , was finally back in his creator's mind.  
"Zayre!" Elliott could hear his own voice in the distance, unclear like a hazy sky. "I have been looking for you...where have you been?"  
The architect started to wander, the train disappearing behind his back.  
His voice was just like always: cold like the steep snowy hills he was walking now.  
"I have never been gone. You see, I got off the train just now because I finally reached my destination."

  
"That's not what I meant..."

  
Zayre stopped moving, his voice echoing over the landscape. "I was there the whole time. You are the one who left. Then you started looking for me in the wrong places."

  
When Elliott started answering, his words formed storm clouds over Zayre. Thunder roared in the background when he said: "This is impossible. I have been writing in the same surroundings for many years."

  
"Yes, you have. But you did not leave me by going away. It happened in your mind. You need to focus..."

  
This sentence caused Elliott to snap. His anger let floods of rain go down on Zayre. He covered his head with his arms, but it was useless. The architect was consumes by raging waves and disappeared in them.

  
_You need to focus..._

  
Elliott hated these words after hearing them countless times when he was younger. They always met his ears when his behavior became too exhausting for any adults, like his teachers.

  
Now he saw himself again, diving in the sea his mind created. Once again, he went deeper and deeper. This time, he reached the bottom. Instead of touching ground, he slipped out of the water and fell downwards through an empty space for a few seconds, then landing on a fluffy carpet that felt familiar.

  
Elliott found his Claymore in his swordhand and discovered that he was at home in the hallway of the first floor. It was dark around him, only moonlight shone through the windows.

  
Shivers ran down his spine as he heard something in the hallway.

  
A shape ran around at the other end of the room, only a mere shadow.

  
Elliott flinched as he saw it.

  
A shadow brute in his home was nothing he was willing to accept.

  
He sneaked through the long, narrow hallway, ready to attack, but his enemy kept hiding behind the corner.

  
One last deep breath...

  
Elliott raised his sword, turned around the corner and cut his opponent down with one strike.

  
Satisfied, he looked down,

  
to discover that it was no shadow brute that he killed.

  
It was a younger version of himself.

  
Terrified now, Elliott stared at the boy with his face on the ground, lying in a puddle of blood.

  
A familiar pain in the side made Elliott go down on his knees, pressing his hand onto the aching spot.

  
Blood was on his hand when he looked at it.

  
His eyes rotated upwards, then he collapsed next to the other body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This makes me more nervous than uploading the prologue, because I am afraid this is somehow...wrong? I can't express it.
> 
> But: Elliott getting into the car and driving to Stardew Valley without any complications would have been boring. Furthermore, an unexperienced fighter like Elliott against a horde of Shadow Brutes without taking serious damage? I remember how they used to screw me when I first encountered them in the mines.
> 
> I like Elliott's dreams / nightmares and I will use them as a way to show how he and his thoughts develop throughout the story.
> 
> *heavy breathing, nervous sweating*


	8. Arrival

He woke up once again and covered his face with his hands, trying to somehow scare the pictures of his dream away. Elliott was fed up with strange dreams like this, and he didn't have any nerve to think about what his subconscious self maybe tried to tell him.

  
At least he felt a bit better, physically.

  
Elliott opened his sleeping bag and fetched a new dressing for his wound. As he uncovered it, he was satisfied to see that it looked much better. Knowing that he was in no acute danger anymore made him feel relieved. He once again cleaned the cut and put a new gauze pad with antiseptic ointment on it, this time without pressing it on, and wrapped another bandage around himself.

  
When he stepped out of the car, it was starting to get dark again outside.

  
A warm campfire was just what he needed right now, Elliott however dismissed the thought as light would only lure monsters into his near. Shadow brutes would avoid fire though, but the safest solution was to stay in the car.  
Normally, it wouldn't have been a problem for Elliott to protect himself from harmless creatures like slimes.

  
Under the given circumstances, it was too risky to try.

  
He enjoyed a few breaths of fresh air and five minutes of strolling around outside before he needed a pause and locked himself up again.  
The dream he had gave Elliott the power to finally start scribbling a bit again, although he still did not know if Zayre's words had any meaning. It was not much, only a few brief notes, but enough to cheer him up.  
He ate his last sandwich and one egg, noticing that he really needed to travel on after the night because his proviant wasn't meant to last much longer.

  
While eating, he unfolded the map of the southern part of the Ferngill Republic, looking for somewhere he could go.

  
The population density was not very high in the country, something about seventy-five people per square kilometre. The most deserted areas were those near the southern coast. There were a few metropoles like Twofall located there, with a few smaller towns around, but also with bigger empty areas between the huge cities.  
If Elliott headed directly south, he would arrive in an area called _Stardew Valley_. Twofall was far eastern of this valley that Elliott had already heard of, but never been to.  
He could only find one town there. Its name was _Pelican Town_ and directly located at the Gem Sea. It looked a bit too small, but Elliott wanted to try it, so he calculated the distance.  
If he still headed for Twofall, it would take him another eight hours.  
The shortest route which would bring him directly to the sea was the one to Pelican Town and would probably be done in four hours of constant driving.

  
Elliott evaluated that it would have been the worst possible idea to drive the distance in one go and he would still rest a lot tomorrow, so he would arrive in the afternoon. He survived the last night and knew that it still could cost him his life if he just underestimated the blood loss and passed out again.  
Viducia wouldn't be happy if he drove her car against a tree, and a broken neck wouldn't suit Elliott just as little.

 

 

Grey clouds covered the sky the next morning. Elliott was up before sunlight even touched the mossy ground of the forest. Pondering about his way woke him early. Although he was very sure at first, he did not know if his idea of going to Stardew Valley was the smartest. A bigger city could definitely provide more of everything Elliott needed: food, a bed, and an examination in a clinic, just to be sure.

  
On the other hand, he had read that the soil in Stardew Valley was especially fertile and grew plenty of nature's most precious gifts, meaning that he could pick what he needed.

  
At last, he came to the conclusion that he still wanted to try.

  
The injury healed at an enormous rate, as it was already covered by a fresh layer of pink tender skin. Elliott didn't cover it anymore and just put his shirt over it.

  
When the sun finally broke through the clouds, he started the engine. His map had indicated that there should be a small river in the near. He could actually find it and used it for washing his hair and skin. Finally, after loafing around a whole day without being able to move much, Elliott felt a bit more human-like again. His knees were not as weak anymore, and he could move without reeling. Only a look into his face still revealed that he still wasn't as healthy as usual, as his cheeks were still alarmingly pale.

  
While Elliott's hair needed some time to dry, he once again wrote down a few ideas into his notebook. He took a look at his phone for the first time since he left the highway: 11:30 A.M. already, time to finally move.  
No highways lead into Stardew Valley, but Elliott craved his beloved coffee so much that he drove onto the highway anyway, just to stop at a café. He had two cups of coffee, so strong that he could as well have asphalted some roads with it, and delicious pancakes with honey and butter. His breakfast was the only thing he focused on, he wasn't even paying attention to his surroundings because he knew that they were not half as delightful as his meal and because he didn't have the time.

  
Being happy and full, Elliott hit the road, left the highway and hurried to go southwards.

  
His whole body was tingling with excitement. Finally, the ocean. The most wonderful place he could imagine. Hearing the waves in his ear, breathing fresh salty air, having sand under his bare feet – it was going to be great. Elliott killed the time as he sang along to the radio and painted his mind with imaginations of the magnificent Gem Sea when he took his breaks. And those breaks were needed urgently because Elliott, still weakened, started yawning after a while of driving.

  
It was 5:20 P.M. when he stopped at a bus stop in order to check the map again.

  
Elliott assumed that he probably should arrive soon, but he wanted to be sure. A tunnel opened its dark maw right in front of him.

  
After a quick glance at the map, Elliott was unsure where he was, but everything pointed at the possibility that he was already there. At least the tunnel would not lead him to Pelican Town.

  
He parked the car on the other side of the road, crossed the street and checked a wooden signpost, headlined with PELICAN TOWN indeedly.  
An arrow to the left said "Camilla Farm".  
An arrow to the right said "Marketplace".  
_I'm here, at last_ , said Elliott's heart, _I hope I am safe now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It bugs me that this chapter is so short, but Elliott's start in Pelican Town definitely needs to be a new chapter, so, sorry.  
> I'm really looking forward to it because I finally write the Stardew Valley NPCs :3 Elliott will like most of them, but there are some he wouldn't have met so early, if the decision was up to him...  
> I know that the signpost is not the same as in-game, but I wanted it that way. It's only a minor change and I want to display the rest of Pelican Town as "realistic" as possible.  
> 


	9. Angel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of all the chapters I uploaded until now, this is my personal favorite.  
> Still, I feel unsure about the next one.

The farm woke his interest and he wanted to go there first, but Elliott decided that he would not do it. It was almost dinner time and he did not want to disturb the farmer.

  
Finding a room was more important now anyway. There would be enough time tomorrow or the day after.

  
Elliott turned right and stepped into a beautiful town, quiet and peaceful. Cobblestone paths lead him between old trees. Nature painted the landscape in the most brilliant colors autumn had to offer. A squirrel dashed up a tree, and a swarm of birds up in the sky flew further southwards. Animals were obviously getting prepared for the upcoming winter. Unfortunately, Elliott could never observe it quite good back home. He lived in a huge city compared to this little spot – humans took almost the whole space for themselves there.

  
This place made him feel happy. There was enough room for animals and people.

  
Maybe, even a room for himself.

  
Elliott went straight towards a building he identified as a small clinic by the red cross above the door. _Harvey's Clinic, open 9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M._ said a sign next to the doorbell.

  
He sighed and felt much more relaxed. There would be someone helping him tomorrow.

  
Next to the clinic, there was some kind of grocery store named _Pierre's_ , open until 6:00 P.M. Trying his luck, Elliott opened the door and stepped inside.  
Obviously, there were no costumers. The only person Elliott could see was possibly Pierre himself: A man with sleek brown hair and glasses on his nose stood behind the counter.

  
He looked towards the door, visibly shocked or surprised, and greeted: "Good evening!"

  
"Good evening", Elliott responded friendly.

  
"Are you..." The man made a short pause, as if he was looking for the courage to ask. "I haven't seen you before. Are you a tourist?"

  
"Yes, I am. Why are you asking?"

  
Ignoring the question, he turned his head and called into the backoffice: "Caroline! Come here, quick!"

  
A beautiful woman with two light green ponytails stepped out of a door. "What is it, Pierre? Oh, who do we have here?"

  
Pierre stepped around the counter, positioning himself next to his much taller guest. "It's a tourist! I'm sorry, I did not introduce ourselves yet. This is my wife Caroline. My name is Pierre, and this is our humble general store. It's a pleasure too meet you."  
He stretched out his hand towards Elliott.

  
_Oh, not this again._

  
Elliott tried to prepare himself, then he took the hand and closed his eyes for a second, as the merchant's emotions were overwhelming.

  
Deep worries lied on Pierre's heart like a shadow. It was not just about his store, there was something else, something very personal...  
...A girl?  
The impressions were gone, but Elliott was sure that this man had more problems than he probably would admit.

  
"The pleasure is all mine", he said, hiding everything he just saw and felt. "My name is Elliott..."  
Just Elliott, he reminded himself. His surname did not open any doors in this town.

  
Caroline offered: "Is there something we can do to make your stay as pleasant as possible? We have a shrine of Yoba in the back, if you want to pray!"

  
"Oh my, please...no. Ahem...I did not mean to be rude, but I do not wish to pray to Yoba. If I am being honest, I just wanted to ask you something."

  
"Oh." Pierre's smile faded as he realized that he wouldn't make any money with his guest. Then he explained: "You go out of the store, then you turn left and walk until you see a bridge. Go over that bridge, then you will see it already."

  
Elliott raised his eyebrows and thought about those words for a moment, but couldn't figure out what it was supposed to mean. He asked: "Excuse me, but I do not understand what you are trying to tell me."

  
"Aren't you looking for the JojaMart?"

  
"Joja...Mart? Are you saying that they have a branch...out here?"

  
Pierre took his eyes off Elliott, starting to wandering back to his place behind the counter. "Now I've got you hooked, right? They are open until 11:00 P.M., have a nice evening."

  
"Wait." Elliott put a hand on Pierre's shoulder, making him turn around again. "I do not like the fact that they even infested smaller towns like this. Joja is a terrible company, in fact, I wouldn't even take money to set one foot into their store, and their cola makes me sick. Doesn't it make it hard for you to survive? How are you doing with a competitor like that?"

  
"You..." Pierre's eyes widened. "You are a good man. Nobody asked me yet. None of the townsfolk showed this little bit of empathy towards me. To answer your question, our business is going awful. Many of the citizens go shopping at JojaMart. Me, Caroline and our daughter are very concerned about the future. We are happy about every single costumer. That's why I overreacted in such a ridiculous way. I am...very sorry."

  
"Don't you worry. I need nothing in this moment, but if I ever get the chance, I will buy everything I need from you."

  
"We would be happy! I have a daughter in your age, her name is Abigail. I will introduce you to her if I see you again. So, because I completely misunderstood you – what was the question you actually wanted to ask?"

  
Elliott smiled, as he was happy that he could cheer somebody up. "I am looking for a room where I can spend the night. Is there anyone in town I can ask?"

  
"There is. When you leave the store and head straight, you will find the Stardrop Saloon after fifty metres. The owner, Gus is his name, has a room. Ask him, he can help you. And if you want to have a bit of fun until you go sleeping, the Stardrop Saloon is the right address as well."

  
"That sounds interesting. My journey was an exhausting one, maybe a bit of destraction will do me well. Caroline, Pierre, I thank you."

  
Caroline answered: "You're welcome. Just remember, if you need anything, we would love to help you again."

  
"Have a nice evening!", Pierre said, then adding: "And this time, I mean it."

  
Elliott bid them farewell and left the store, taking the path that Pierre mentioned. He found a buiding made of brown bricks, a small staircase leading up to a slighty weathered door.  
A big sign next to the door made it unmistakable that Elliott was already there:

  
THE STARDROP SALOON.

  
He stepped up to the door and entered.

  
The barroom was, as expected for a rather rural area, set up in a rustic way, with a floor of wooden planks and an also wooden paneling on the walls. There were round tables right and left of the door with several residents sitting around them. Opposite of the door, there was the bar, as well as a fireplace and a giant carving of a wooden bear that reached up to the ceiling.  
A woman with bright blue hair and red lipstick was washing up beer mugs behind the bar. Someone stood next to her, Elliott assumed him to be Gus. He was a short stubby man with frayed brown hair and a mustache.  
Jolly music sounded out of a jukebox, but it didn't match the situation.

  
Every conversation had stopped, nobody said a word anymore.

  
All of those people stared at Elliott.

  
How much he wanted to turn around and leave in this moment.

  
Still, he did not want to sleep in the van again.

  
"Good evening", he greeted quietly, sitting down at the bar then, hoping that they wouldn't observe him any further.

  
"Good evening", the bartender replied, "What can I bring you?"

  
Elliott thought about his answer for a moment. Beer sounded good right now, but he killed the thought immediatly. He wanted to keep a clear mind, as he would spend the night in an area he wasn't familiar with, around people he did not know.

  
"I'd like to have a glass of grape juice, please."

  
"Grape juice?" The man made a grim face. "We call this "wine" around here."

  
"No, I don't want any alcohol. I meant exactly what I said: grape juice."

  
"Hey, I don't know where you come from, but we don't have fancy drinks like this."

  
Elliott frowned at him, feeling insulted somehow, but he wanted to stay friendly. "So what can you offer me instead?"

  
He listed: "Beer, coffee, wine and water."

  
"I will have a glass of water then, thank you."

  
"Right away."

  
The bartender took a glass, filled it with tap water and placed it on the counter. "There you go, sir."

  
"Many thanks."

  
"You know...I never serve people I don't know. I first thought you are here to visit someone, but nobody of my guests seem to be a friend of yours."

  
A prickling feeling in Elliott's back made him even more uncomfortable. Everyone was still staring at him. He could feel it.

  
Then he explained: "That is, indeed, true. I am a tourist, planning to stay a few days in Pelican Town. My name is Elliott, it is nice to meet you. Thank you for your hospitality.”

  
“Oh.” The other man raised his eyebrows. “I'm not used to such polite guests. Uh...I'm Gus. Hi.” Gus cleared his throat and mumbled: “I'll be right back. If you need something, this...” He turned towards the blue-haired girl, “...is Emily. She will be happy to help you.”

  
"Hi", she said, smiling friendly.

  
Elliott watched Gus while he strolled somewhere else. "Hm, I just wanted to ask him about your room."

  
"I'm sure he will be back in a minute, but it will be no problem. We never have any tourists overnight. I can't remember how long ago Gus rented that room for the last time. So, as long as you have the money, everything is fine...and when I look at your...clothing style, I doubt that money is a problem for you!" She giggled, and Elliott joined in quietly, just playing along.

  
Just because he had enough money at this time did not mean that it was no problem, because he knew that it would be one some day.

  
The tingling hunch became so unbearable that Elliott took a quick look over his shoulder.  
And there she was, directly looking into his eyes.  
A manifestation of beauty, with braided hair shimmering like liquid copper and eyes that could have been stars of the night sky, shining as bright as such.  
Her full red lips smiled as she stroked a loose streak of her heavenly hair behind her ear in a playful gesture.  
If Elliott could really spot it over this distance and wasn't mistaken, her pupils dilated.

  
He was sure that he looked like an idiot in this moment, giving her some kind of crooked smile.

  
For her, he was a gorgeous man with angel-like hair and the cutest smile she had ever seen in her entire life was the one he was giving her over his shoulder, even if she only could see his profile.

  
Then she stood up, surprising Elliott with her impressive height and slender appearance.  
She only said "Hi" when she sat down next to him, but for Elliott it felt like she was caressing his ear. "I'm Leah, but I couldn't catch your name?"  
"I'm Elliott", he answered, his voice sounding smoky somehow, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

  
Actually the biggest pleasure in weeks.

  
"And where might a charming man like you come from?"

  
"I'm from..." Elliott hesitated and he didn't even know why. He had been living there his whole life, so there shouldn't be any problem. He started his sentence again: "I'm from Agison City."

  
Leah started playing with her hair again. "I never heard it before, to be honest."

  
"Agison is far north of here, a big city with over 100,000 inhabitants."

  
"Wow. And you're coming to a small spot like this one? I mean, don't get me wrong."

  
"If I am being honest, I initially wanted to see Twofall. I had to change the route and headed to the nearest town located at the Gem Sea, which was, from my position at that moment, Pelican Town. Emily, would you please fetch a glass of your best wine for the lady?"

  
"Oh..." Leah's smile made Elliott melt. "You don't have to..."

  
He smiled back, not answering. If it meant that he could see her smile until the end of time, he would buy all the wine in the world.

  
She proceeded: "You had to change your route? What happened?"

  
The pictures appeared in Elliott's mind again. Shadow brutes emerged out of the dark around him, then he saw himself running in mortal agony. All that blood, the torturing pain...

  
"Please excuse me, but I do not wish to talk about it."

  
"Well, whatever it was, I hope you're better now!"

  
Emily placed Leah's glass on the counter, giving her and Elliott a meaningful smile.

  
Raising her glass, Leah caroled: "Here's to us!"

  
"Cheers!", Elliott answered.

  
"Mmmh, delightful. You should try it, too."

  
"The thought is alluring for sure, but I must admit that I get drunk quite fast. I am only a guest and therefore I must behave."

  
"Hehe, you don't even need wine to look like a vampire", Leah commented.

  
"Pardon me?"

  
"Look at you. Such a tall, masculine appearance with your long flowing hair, your pale face and those elegant clothes. Frock coats and ties are completely unusual here." Leah's smile left her lips. "Actually, the color of your face doesn't look quite healthy. Are you feeling ill, maybe?"

  
He declined: "No, everything's okay. I will look less exhausted soon, I suppose."

  
In that moment, Gus took his place behind the counter again.

  
"Gus, there's something I wanted to ask you for", Elliott said, "I'd like to rent your guest room for two nights."

  
The bartender answered: "Sure, we'll prepare everything in a few minutes."

  
"Many thanks!"

  
"You didn't even ask for the prize..."

  
"I just need a bed to sleep in. The prize is irrelevant. And, please don't misunderstand me, but you can't charge more than 1000 Gold for one night here. That's impossible."

  
Gus sighed. "That's right, I can't. It's 650 Gold per night."

  
He didn't know yet that his guest planned to leave an enormous tip.

  
Leah suggested: "Now that you've got this settled, didn't you say you also came here because of the Gem Sea? How about we go for a walk to the beach?"

  
Elliott's eyes shone as he heard her words, as he was yearning for the water.  
He tried to keep a calm voice, as he accepted: "Yes, I'd love to. Let's go."

  
"Please come back before midnight. We will close then", Gus explained.

  
Elliott nodded and stood up, walking to the door to hold it for Leah.

  
She followed him, but stopped on the way to say goodbye to a few of the other villagers. When she was done and wanted to catch up to her new friend, someone opened the door from the outside, rushing in, slamming the pawl against Elliott who didn't see it coming.

  
"Hey!", Leah shouted at the man coming in, "Shane, can't you come in like any other normal person? You just hit somebody!"

  
"Huh, whatever", he mumbled and made his way to the bar.

  
Without saying a word, Elliott opened the door now, held it open for Leah and followed her outside then. The darkness around them was only brightened by a few street lamps on the way.  
Leah growled: "Don't take it personally. That guy doesn't care about anyone. Let's get going, shall we?"  
She made a few steps until she noticed she left Elliott behind. Turning around, she still found him in the same place with a frozen expression.

  
"Hey...", she said in a mild tone, "I mean it. It's okay. ...Elliott?"

  
"I...don't feel like going to the beach anymore..."  
Before she could ask why, he fell backwards, landing on a step of the stairs in front of the saloon.

  
"Elliott, what's wrong?!"

  
Starting to tremble, he begged her: "Turn around. I promise you, you don't want to see this."

  
"Forget it! Whatever it is, I will stay with you! Just tell me: What is going on?"

  
"Okay. At least I tried." He took his coat off.

  
Leah screamed: "Oh, god! There's so much blood! You're bleeding!"

  
Every single cell of Elliott's body was screaming in pain. That man named Shane slammed the door exactly into the wound, and the fresh skin was torn open by the impact.  
Trying to remain calm, he explained: "Some shadow brutes wounded me on the way. It was healing, but that door hit me in the side and..." He bent in pain, panting for breath. "I can't endure this a second time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I often thought about whether I really want to do this or not, but it creates possibilities, a) for Elliott and Leah to get closer to each other, b) to write a bit more about Elliott's background, c) for Elliott to finally understand why he sees his own death so often.  
> His bad luck will end. But not yet. 
> 
> __________________________
> 
> The Leah x Elliott hype train starts now. *choo choo*
> 
> __________________________
> 
> I updated tags, category (from f/m to "Multi"), relationships and story end notes.


	10. Vortex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliott is doomed as his usually helpful talent turns into a vortex of panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy cannoli, I'm a beacon of sin.

"Come, take my hand! I'll bring you to Harvey. He's our doctor. He can help you!"

  
Elliott looked up to Leah's hand. Although he wanted to take it, he didn't dare. He was starting to become nervous and he feared taking a glimpse at Leah's emotions when he was close to being overwhelmed by his own.

  
How much he hated this moment.  
Everything had been turning out well. He had arrived in a town by the sea, he had met a wonderful woman and was just about to spend his evening with her.  
His heart was rushing, not only because of the physical pain, but because he was so utterly upset.

  
After all, Elliott stood up by himself. "Okay, let's go."

  
Leah offered: "I can support you!"

  
"I want to walk by myself...please don't misunderstand this."

  
"Let me at least take your coat!"

  
He allowed her to do so. As long as she didn't touch him, he was glad to have her help.

  
Side by side, they made their way.

  
"Say it if I can help you, even if it's something small. I'll stay with you until you're better. And even longer, if you want me to be."  
Giving Leah a weak smile, he said: "I appreciate it. You are so kind...thank you so much."

  
Her response was a sad look on her face.

  
"Leah...? Don't look at me that way...what's wrong?"

  
"You know, just the thought that you won't be here for a long time...we can go to the beach another day, but no matter what happens, you'll have to go soon. I'm sure you have your responsibilities calling for you where you live..."  
The plain thought made Elliott feel like a burning dagger was rammed into his side. It hurt so bad, and seeing Leah sad made him want to be buried alive.

  
They arrived at Harvey's clinic. While Leah rang the doorbell, Elliott tried to prepare himself somehow.  
A tall man with huge glasses and a moustache, surprisingly young for a doctor, opened the door.

  
"Leah! Good eve..." As soon as he glanced Elliott, and, even more important, blood, he called out: "Good Yoba, what happened?" He held the door. "Come in!"  
He lead them into a typical consulting room with an operating table, two chairs, a sink and several closets with medical equipment. On their way, Elliott could hear a few bits of Leah's explanation: _injury...healed...pawl...blood...torn apart..._

  
As soon as he stepped into the room, Elliott started drifting off into unconsciousness. It felt like his remaining energy was sucked out of his body in seconds. His knees gave in. Two hands caught him while he fell and heaved him onto a chair.

  
Leah's voice reached his ear. "Elliott, stay with us!"

  
"Your name is Elliott?", the doctor asked.

  
He nodded silently.

  
"Hi, I'm Doctor Harvey. I'll do everything I can to help you. Can you please take your shirt off? I need to take a look."

  
Still not responding, Elliott unbuttoned his shirt. He wanted to scream out in pain and anger, but he felt so weak that he just barely reacted to anything.  
Leah just stood there and stared at the gaping wound in shock. "All that blood", she said quietly, "It's horrible..."

  
"Okay", Harvey mumbled. "I need to stitch this one. Leah, I need Maru. I need her quick. Can you please pick her up? I hope she's at home at this time."

  
"Sure. I'll be right back."

  
"Leah!" Elliott looked up to her. "Don't leave me alone..."

  
"Listen. In order to help you as quickly as possible, Harvey needs a nurse. He can't do it alone. Her home is not far away from here. I'll be back in a few minutes. I put your coat on the other chair – here is your purse. Harvey will need your health insurance and ID card."  
He started fumbling around in his wallet when Leah was gone, handing the cards over to Harvey, still without saying anything.

  
Harvey started filling out forms and tried to distract his patient. "Okay, before we start, I need to ask you a few important things. Do you have any illnesses or medical conditions?"  
Elliott shook his head. "No, nothing."  
"Do you take medication of any kind at the moment?"  
"No."  
"When was the last time you ate something?"  
"Let me think...oh, of course...at noon."  
"Leah mentioned you were at the saloon when it happened...?"  
Elliott explained: "We were, but I only had water."  
Once again, Harvey inspected the injury and asked: "Who or what did this to you?"  
"I got into a fight with shadow brutes..."  
"Ah, you're an adventurer? I see you've come a far way. I was in Agison a few years ago. There was this gigantic exhibition about the history of medicine. It's a beautiful city!"  
"I hate it there..."

  
Harvey raised his head from the form. "Did you say something?"  
"No."

  
"Okay, I need you to lay down on the operating table. Do you need help? It's only three steps."  
"I'll try it myself." Elliott knew that his problems with being touched were disproportionate, but he couldn't help it. His surroundings started swaying as soon as he stood, but he made it to the table and lied down as fast as it was possible for him.  
Which was, in fact, very slow.

  
The doctor fetched some things he would need. Seconds later, an ice-cold sensation made Elliott shiver. Disinfactant drizzled down on his skin.  
Someone knocked at the door. Leah and the nurse, already in her white coat, stepped in.  
“Hi, I'm Maru”, she said, looking into Elliott's eyes, “I work together with Doctor Harvey and we will do our best tonight.” Taking a look at the forms, she asked: “May I call you Blaine?”  
“I'd prefer Elliott, thanks.”  
“Oh, sorry.” She took a second look. “Your second name then, yes?”  
“It's one name. I've got other problems right now. ...That probably sounded impolite, but please help me.”

  
Maru said something appeasing and started rustling in drawers, getting things she would need.

  
Then she switched on the light over the table.

  
Six powerful lights dazzled Elliott, causing him to close his eyes.

  
He remembered where he got his name from. Blaine-Elliott Sterling was a combination of his grandfather's name and the name David chose. Because they put a hyphen between it, making it one name, he got called Blaine every now and then although Elliott was the name he wanted to be called.  
Grandpa Blaine had been a good man: calm, understanding, creative. In fact, he and Granny Beth were the nicest relatives Elliott ever knew, because the rest of the Sterlings weren't any better than David or the Beresnevs, the family of Elliott's mother Sofia. Blaine taught his grandson a lot about nature and the environment, spending countless days in the woods together, but what Elliott appreciated even more was that he was introduced to classic literature by him. He happily remembered rainy afternoons drinking hot chocolate with his grandpa and listening to him as he read fairytales, poems and short stories, encouraging Elliott to start reading himself before he could even write his own name.

  
Although Blaine had worried about his grandson's plans about being a writer as well, he still said: _If that is what you want to achieve, go for it. You are old enough to bear the consequences of your failure as well as the rewards for your success._

  
That was when Elliott was sixteen and the whole family started to be seriously concerned about his future.

  
Blaine died a few weeks after this statement, never being able to see how Elliott would do with his books.

  
The memories filled his mind with grief.

  
It was Harvey's voice which kept him from drifting away again.

  
"Are you okay?"  
"Mhh", Elliott mumbled.

  
"Good. I suggest that we give you a short general anesthesia via gas. Your injury is almost too big to just use local anesthesia. Also, it's especially indicated for...slightly nervous patients."  
"I see. Do just what you think is right."

  
"It's no very deep sleep, and you'll only black out for ten to twenty minutes. It's not really comparable to the classical general anesthesia, because you will still breathe by yourself, just like a little nap. If we are quicker with stitching, we will wake you even earlier. Risks are very unlikely to occur, but I have to enlighten you anyway. Things that can happen are..."  
Elliott's thoughts became too loud to still listen to Harvey, and he didn't want to know either way. He just accepted everything and endured the pain when Maru created a venous access in his arm.  
His eyes were still closed, so he didn't see Leah extending her arm towards him.

  
Then she took his hand.

  
As pictures started to flood his mind, he opened his eyes wide. At first, he could see Leah's emotions. She fearfully awaited the next day and hoped that Elliott would be feeling better then. Something else filled her mind also. It was something very cold...  
...a huge block of ice?

  
Before he could understand why, the picture was gone. Leah's soul now reacted as a mirror for Elliott's own fears and thoughts. They all hailed down at his tortured self at once.  
His disastrous way to Pelican Town.  
His crushed hope to be safe there.  
The feeling of his fate lying completely in Harvey's hands, lying there half-naked and defenseless on the cold table.  
The dreams in which he died.  
Everything that awaited Elliott at home, as he enjoyed being far away from there so much.  
Having nobody who actually understood him, except maybe Leah, but he had to leave her soon anyway.  
All those things, combined with the physical pain and the effects of his blood loss caused Elliott to break down.  
Anxiety clasped his neck and cut the precious air from his lungs. A burning hammer hit Elliott's heart with merciless force. It felt like his chest was going to be torn apart under the enormous pressure.  
His hands started cramping immediatly.  
"I can't...breathe", Elliott whispered, "Leah...my hand...let go..."

  
Once again, the room started spinning. The disproportionate panic grew even more as Elliott started to wonder if he would ever go home again, or if his raging heart would just quit soon.  
Suddenly, the panic was gone and the room stopped moving.

  
Elliott started feeling fuzzy and comfortable, as if he was floating on a cloud of cotton wool.

  
Maru's voice cut the fog around his thoughts. "Is it better now?", she asked as she pulled out a syringe out of the venous access.

  
"Much...much better. What did you do?", Elliott heard himself say.

  
"We used a short-acting tranquilizer to prepare you. Everything is ready now. Please tell us when we can start."

  
He took a few deep breaths and a last look into Leah's face.

  
"Don't worry", she said, and smiled. "I'll be there when you wake up again. And the beach won't run away from us. I'm already looking forward to go there with you...tomorrow."

  
"I'm sorry that it turned out that way..."

  
"Elliott..." She stroked his hair, making him close his eyes as it comforted him. "We will just start anew. Now, rest. You had to endure enough."

  
"Alright. I'm ready."

  
The soft mask touched his face, covering his mouth and nose.  
Doctor Harvey said: "Open your eyes and breathe as deep as you can."  
Elliott did what Harvey demanded, but he couldn't keep his eyes open very long.

  
He embraced the darkness and sank into the artificial unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This could) Tell me  
> (Change me) How does it feel to breathe?  
> (Fallen) I  
> (Follow) Initiate 
> 
> I'm drifting (Drifting)  
> Deeper (Deeper)  
> Into (Into)  
> The unknown 
> 
> (Lyrics from "Initiate" by Haken. Yes, I do listen to other bands, but their lyrics are the most inspiring ones ever for me.)
> 
> ____________________________________
> 
> As I already stated, I enjoy chapters like these, but they are making me feel so bad and guilty at the same time. Sorry for possible medical malpractice, just because I work in that field doesn't mean I know everything, but I tried to inform myself as good as possible.  
> (I'm more of the person who provides the tranquilizers huehue)  
> Maybe I try to process my own anesthesia trauma. The only one I ever had was a living nightmare.  
> BUT enough of this now. Harvey finally took care, so it's okay.
> 
> ____________________________________
> 
> Edit: My story is now divided into parts! Everything I uploaded still belongs to part one and it won't end so soon. Part one will probably have between twenty and twenty-five chapters.
> 
> ____________________________________
> 
> I feel like uploading two chapters today, but nah...I need to be ahead a bit.
> 
> ____________________________________
> 
> Aaaaand this story has 300 hits now! Thanks to everyone of you.


	11. Heartfelt

It was a short, peaceful slumber for Elliott without being tormented by any dreams.

  
Soft light welcomed him back in consciousness. Then, after blinking a few times, Leah's silhouette sharpened before his eyes.

  
Looking around himself, Elliott saw himself lying in another room now. It was a typical simple clinic room with three beds. Leah sat on a chair next to his.

  
"Hello", she greeted.

  
Smiling back at her, Elliott responded: "Hi. Did everything go well?"

  
"Yes. Everything is fine. Only something about fifteen minutes passed. You need to stay here overnight, but I already told Gus. I had to leave anyway as soon as you were gone."

  
"Oh, that is kind of you. Thanks." He wanted to sit up in his bed, but started to feel uneasy as soon as he raised his head from the pillow.

  
"Take it easy!", Leah admonished Elliott while he let his head sink back onto the bed. "Are you okay?"

  
"As long as I keep lying down, yes...I just wanted to take a look..." He lifted the blanket just a bit, this time without moving too much, then noticing: "Oh, of course I can't see anything with that bandage over it...but it will leave an enormous scar, that is for sure."

  
"It will", Leah agreed, "But I'm happy that it will be better from now on." The smile on Leah's face faded. "I was extremely concerned about you. And I don't mean this wound on your side."

  
"Leah..."

  
"You are wounded on the inside as well, aren't you?"

  
"Well, who isn't?", Elliott asked.

  
"I guess you're right. But what really unsettles me is the fact that I seemed to be the reason for your panic. All I wanted was to take your hand and calm you down."

  
Elliott mumbled: "Didn't you say we would start anew?"

  
"If you don't want to tell..."

  
"Okay, I'll tell you what happened. But you mustn't tell anyone. ...Even if you did, nobody believes this story anyway. I have a secret talent. When I touch someone's hands, I can glimpse their inner eye. I sense their emotions...I see the surface of their soul."

  
"Really?" Leah opened her eyes wide and just stared at Elliott for a moment. "That means you can read other people's minds?"

  
"No, it doesn't. I can't hear their thoughts or something. Everything I get are short expressions."

  
"But what did you see from my inner eye? It must have been something awful..."

  
He explained: "First, I saw that you're worried. That's not very surprising under the given circumstances, of course. But it set all of my own worries free. I saw it all at one moment. It was too much for me..."

  
"Oh. That sounds horrible. I'm so sorry."

  
"No, Leah. I should be the one being sorry. I'm weak."

  
It seemed like she thought about what she should answer. Then she asked: "What concerns you so much?"

  
A lethargic sigh and a few moments were needed to think about an answer. "I don't think I have the energy to tell you the whole story, but let me sum it up: I am fed up with my life back where I live. I'm still living with my parents, who want me to do something "normal", without understanding that I'm just not cut out for anything normal, and I can't move out because I didn't release a book yet. You need to know that I'm a writer, but just a young one. After all, I am only nineteen years old. Apart from that, I work as a part-time lay librarian, but only because I am forced to. There is nobody there for me and I feel...alone, weak, brittle, however you would like to describe it."

  
"But don't you have any closer friends? Isn't there anybody you can talk with?"

  
The answer made Elliott feel even worse than before. Although he didn't know it any other way, being aware of it hurt him. "No, there isn't. I have no friends, only acquaintances. I'm not close with any of my relatives as well. All of them think that I just went for a vacation. Nobody of them would guess my actual plan."

  
A tender blush graced Leah's cheeks as she looked down on her shoes. "Maybe you...want to tell me?"

  
"Are you implying that you could be my friend?"

  
She mumbled something that Elliott couldn't understand, making him chuckle. "Leah, what a graceful woman you are. I already consider you a friend. I didn't notice until now. It makes me feel happy."

  
"Me too..."

  
"What I meant by talking about my "plan", is that I am looking for a new place to live. My heart is yearning to cut all ties with my previous life."

  
"Wait!", Leah interrupted him, "You want to stay in Pelican Town?"

  
"If this town is a nice place to live and I find a peaceful home here, I will come back and stay."

  
Leah rejoiced: "That would be wonderful. To make your decision a bit easier, maybe you want to learn about what kind of friend you have found in me?"

  
"But of course. I have talked about myself for the longest time. What is your life like?"

  
"I am an artist, too. Painting and sculpting are my greatest passions. Now that I think about it, you and me are actually similar. Before I came here, I had an apartment in Zuzu City with my boyfriend and a job that didn't fulfill me. He also wanted me to go to college, but I didn't want to live the ordinary life. I threw it all away to pursue my dream."

  
"That's amazing", Elliott answered, "Our motivation seems to be the same. The two of us are outsiders, not fitting into the mold society tries to press us into. But how are you doing with it?"

  
She frowned and looked down to the ground again. "Mostly, I am very content. On the other hand, I can't deny that I'm lonely. There are no other artists in town, so, nobody who shares my admiration for art. Making money isn't easy also." Leah raised her head, now smiling again. "But this is the life I chose, so everything is fine."

  
They were interrupted as someone knocked at the door. Harvey stepped in a moment later.

  
"Ah, you're up! That's good. How are you feeling?"

  
"I still feel a bit weary", Elliott answered, "But I guess that's normal."

  
"It is. There are a few things you need to know now. The sutures must be removed in ten days. Please make an appointment with your doctor once you're at home, I will give you a letter will all the data. Also, you mustn't shower or take baths until then. It's absolutely necessary that the sutures stay dry. You may only use a washcloth for the surrounding skin."

  
"Oh, how lovely." Elliott rolled his eyes. "Alright, I understood. I wanted to thank you, by the way...who knew how it would have ended without you?"

  
Harvey explained: "Without someone stitching you up, you would have died. Not immediatly, but your injury was in a difficult spot and very likely to be torn open again. Probably, you would get an infection somewhen, causing death when untreated. Or maybe you would have bled to death somewhen, that's a bit hard to judge. What a sad thought, don't you think? You are young. There's so much for you to see and to explore..."

  
_What if I don't want to explore anymore?_

  
"That would have been sad indeed", Elliott said quietly.

  
_What if I just want to find the place where I will meet my fate?_

  
"Anyway, I need to keep you here overnight", Harvey proceeded, "It is still possible that any aftermaths of the anesthesia occur, although it's rather unlikely. If you start to feel unwell, you see that button? Right next to your head. Press it and either Maru or I will come to you immediatly."

  
Elliott suppressed his unwanted bitter thoughts once again. "Okay."

  
"I suggest that we will let you alone now. Your body needs some time to recover, and you surely are exhausted after this exciting evening, aren't you?"

  
Leah understood what Harvey tried to imply and stood up. "That means I better get going. Thanks again, Harvey."

  
"No problem. That's what I was made for. If there are no further questions, I will go upstairs now."

  
There were none, so he wished a good night and left the room.

  
It was Elliott who raised his voice first: "So that means I can leave tomorrow. I've got to see you as soon as possible."

  
"Meet me at the beach at noon", Leah proposed, "If you are not there, I will wait for you. I will set up a surprise. When you leave the clinic, just head straight. You will see a bridge over a stream. Pass it and you're there."

  
"A surprise? If that doesn't sound good. I will be there, no matter what happens."

  
Both of them smiled at each other. "I'm so looking forward to this. Sleep well and...see you tomorrow."

  
"Me too", Elliott answered, "Have a good night."

  
When Leah just wanted to open the door, he stopped her once again.

  
"Leah?"

  
Turning around, she answered: "Yes?"

  
"I forgot that there was still something I wanted to ask you. We talked about what I saw when you took my hand. But there was also something I didn't mention towards you yet."

  
"Really? What did you sense?"

  
He described: "I felt something cold. Then I saw a huge ice block for a moment. Is it an art project you are working on?"

  
As a bold smile unfolded on Leah's face, she finally made it.

  
She had won Elliott's heart.

  
"If you move here, I will show you. Good night."

  
"But—"  
Leah was already gone.  
What a woman.

  
Elliott was unsure how to feel, though. He considered it a bit early to have a crush on her. On the other hand, she gave him enough reasons to fall in love. Only imagining her divine face made his skin tingle.  
Hearing her name in his thoughts...  
_Leah._  
Pleasent shivers caressed Elliott's back. He turned the light off and closed his eyes, drifting away smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, this chapter's shortness bugs me, but otherwise, this part I actually wanted to include was five pages long. That's way too much for one chapter.  
> _________________________________
> 
> Because I feel like that, here are some songs that remind me of Elliott:  
> \- "Lost in thoughts all alone" (from Fire Emblem Fates, but the Shigure version! Btw, I imagine Elliott's singing voice to be exactly like Shigure's / Matthew Mercer's.)  
> \- Atlantic (Keane)  
> \- The Iron Sea (also Keane, but this one fits him even better. I love this piece of music so incredibly much.)
> 
> _________________________________
> 
> "When I touch someone's hands, I can glimpse their inner eye. I sense their emotions...I see the surface of their soul."
> 
> _________________________________


	12. Illusion

It was already daytime when Elliott opened his eyes again. He sat up, stretched his arms up into the air and yawned lustily.

  
"Awww, you little sleepyhead. Did you rest well?"

  
He looked around, realizing that he was at home. His mother stood behind him in the passage to the hallway.

  
"Mother? Oh, I've slept very well, but what am I doing here?"

  
"Don't you remember?" There was nothing judging in her voice, just a nice, warm tone. "You came home from school and you were so exhausted. Then you rolled up on the couch and took a nap."

  
Indeedly, Elliott sat on the couch in the living-room of the house he grew up in.  
"But you...you look different somehow."

  
"Me?", Sofia wondered. "Did you have a bad dream? I didn't change in the slightest."

  
Her son rubbed his eyes and groaned. "I actually dreamed something strange. I can't remember everything, but I got into a fight with monsters. They hurt me. Then I was...bleeding...ouch!"

  
"Elliott...what's wrong?"

  
"I've got a headache. Now where does that come from? Shouldn't I feel refreshed? I feel like I forgot something...something really important..."

  
"Hey..." Sofia sat down next to him and hugged him, stroking his head. "Relax. It was just a dream. You are here with me, and you're safe from those monsters now."

  
Elliott closed his eyes and repeated: "I'm safe..."

  
"I made Tom Kha Soup for you. Do you want some? You were so tired that I couldn't ask you when you came home."

  
"Oh, I'd love some. It sounds wonderful."

  
"It's your favorite meal after all, isn't it?" She kissed her son's forehead and caressed his hair one last time. "I would never forget. You are my precious child, and I love you more than words could express."  
With the blink of an eye, the surroundings changed. Suddenly, Elliott was taken out of his mother's arms and found himself once again at a beach. He sat in the soft sand, looking around because he was confused.

  
"Mother? Where have you gone?", Elliott called out.

  
The answering voice was different from anything Elliott had heard before in his life. It was a deep voice, eerie and hollow and it said its echoing words in a mesmerizing slowness.

  
"You are my precious child", it repeated, "I love you more than words could express."

  
As he recognized the words, he stood up and ran towards the raging waves. "Mom? Is that you?"

  
It sounded like the words came out of the deepest sea itself. "Come to me", it said, "I have been waiting for so long."

  
"Wait! I'm coming for you!", Elliott shouted and jumped into the water without even taking his shoes off. He swam until the beach was out of sight.

  
But he couldn't find her. Wherever he swam, no matter where he looked, Sofia was gone if she had ever been there.

  
All of a sudden, his ankles felt like an iron clamp pinched them together. Unable to move his legs, Elliott started sinking.

  
"Finally", the hollowness rejoiced. It apparently came from the seabed itself.

  
He frantically tried to move. All his attempts failed. Darkness surrounded him as he submerged below the surface. Without thinking about it, Elliott gave an answer. "Who are you? And...why can I breathe underwater?"  
"Nothing is real." These were the last words the voice replied.

  
Still, Elliott used all of his power to somehow use his feet. It was so dark around him that he couldn't see them. Everything became worse as he couldn't even feel his legs anymore.

  
This time, he didn't drown, but he was unable to swim either. Deeper and deeper he sank, caught in numbness...

  
It was his father's voice that brought him back.

  
"Hey, Elliott, wake up."

  
A second try was necessary to end his dream.

  
"Enough now, boy!"

  
"Huh?" His father's face appeared right before Elliott's eyes.

  
"Are you back with us?"

  
A look was enough for Elliott to realize that he was back home again, now in the kitchen. He sat at the dining table, opposite to David.

  
"I guess I am. What happened?"

  
"You ask what happened? You spaced out once again. I will never get used to this...it concerns me every time. Well, enough of this. How was your soup?"

  
"My...?" Elliott discovered an empty bowl right in front of him. "Oh...my soup...it was delightful as always", he lied. "Thanks, mom", he added.

  
She sat down next to her husband. "You're welcome. I'm happy as long as you two are. If it meant that you are happy forever, I'd make Tom Kha soup for you every day until I die."

  
Now that Elliott saw both of them next to each other, he finally understood what was happening.  
He was still dreaming.

  
Sofia looked completely different from reality. The one Elliott saw wore no makeup, no fake nails, no hair extensions. She was just an ordinary woman, but still amazingly beautiful, even prettier than in reality.  
David's hair had the same color as Elliott's, but his son knew that it should have been black. His hair had started to turn grey quite early, that's why he started to dye it.  
There was even more. Never in his life did Elliott get a Tom Kha Soup from his mother. And she would never say that she would die to see her family happy.  
In the moment he exposed the sham reality, it turned night outside. Surrounded by darkness, he could see that his parents' eyes gleamed red like rubies in the sun. They stared into the emptiness and their voices sounded monotone and hollow now.

  
"I always wanted one more son", David mumbled, "So that at least one of them would honor our good name."

  
"Dad! You never told me...is that what you really think about me?"

  
Without answering the question, David went on: "But this ignorant woman only thought about herself. She said that one child is already enough of a burden."

  
When Sofia raised her voice, she also seemed like a remote-controlled puppet. "He didn't understand what it's like to be alone with this boy. He was always at work, of course it was easy for him to wish for more children."

  
Elliott started to tremble. "I can hear you, you know", he said quietly.

  
"I worked so hard for all of this." David clenched his fists on the table. "And all they do is to waste my money."

  
"He doesn't love me anymore!" Sofia covered her face with her hands. "But when I buy nice clothes, other men look at me and I can see the desire in their eyes. That makes me feel better."

  
Feeling more and more desperate, Elliott asked them: "What about me? You only talk about yourselves. Do you even hear me?"

  
Both of them yelled at the same time: "I am stuck here with a partner who doesn't appreciate me anymore, and with a completely unapproachable son who lives in a dream world!"  
"That's enough!" Elliott jumped up from his chair and slammed his hands on the table. "I can't hear it any longer! I don't deserve this!" The remaining light around him faded, leaving him alone in the darkness as he called out in frustration: "Why is it always me? Will I ever be at peace? Have I finally found my place in Stardew Valley or will I have to leave again because I just don't fit in? Is there anybody out there as lonely as me?"  
Nobody answered. Elliott still lingered in the blackness.

  
"Is there anyone", he growled, "Who just understands me?"  
"I'm here", somebody answered.  
"Who said this?"  
"I'm here for you."  
"Leah, is that you...?"

 

 

"No, it's me. Maru."  
"What?" Elliott opened his eyes abruptly and finally found himself in the bed. The nurse looked down on him, undoubtedly worried. When he was still lying on the operating table, he didn't even pay attention to what Maru looks like. She put her glasses up on her nose. Her white coat contrasted her skin with the color of coffee with milk.

  
"I heard you murmuring. You were breathing heavily and turning from one side to the other when I came to look after you. Are you in pain?"

  
He waited a moment until he answered. "It's bearable. I just had a bad dream...again."

  
"May I sit with you for a moment?", Maru asked.  
"Of course."

  
A look out of the window revealed that it was probably still night. Maru took the chair Leah sat on earlier and sat down.

  
"So you often have nightmares?", she wanted to know.

  
"Mhm." Elliott nodded. "Actually, I always had them. Sometimes more, sometimes less. The dreams are extreme at the moment. I dream about dying very often. It concerns me, although I have no idea why it happens over and over again."

  
After a short pause, he added: "Only mankind measures time. Considering this, combined with nightmares like mine, I sometimes experience a fear that is also only known by the human race: The fear of time running out." Elliott looked directly into Maru's eyes. "I'm scared of the thought that I might die too soon."

  
"If you were about to die, would you say that you have been happy?"

  
"Not at this time of my life, no." The conclusion made him shiver. "I just arrived here and I want to learn something about this place. Even further, I have the hope that somewhere, something or someone might still be waiting for me. I believe that every person has a predetermined destiny. If that is the case, I definitely haven't found mine yet."

  
Maru explained: "To be honest, I don't think that your nightmares mean that your life might be over. I don't know much about the symbolism of dreams, but I once read that it can even mean the opposite: change and regeneration, new chances in life, getting rid of burdens."

  
For a few moments, Elliott just stared at her.

  
Then she added: "Or did you almost die at one point of your life? Maybe you still try to process it?"

  
"What? No, by no means. I would know."

  
"Probably, but did you know that the human brain is absolutely fascinating? To protect itself, it can completely forget drastic experiences like accidents."

  
"That's nice to know, but somebody would have told me. Your first theory sounded much more plausible", Elliott said.

  
"Okay. I just wanted to mention it. ...Elliott, probably Doctor Harvey will ask you the same tomorrow, but do you maybe have psychical health issues?"

  
His pulse started to throb faster. Questions like these made Elliott nervous, although he was used to them.

  
"Nobody could find out anything. I have heard a lot of possibilities, started with autism, also sensory processing disorder, depression, epilepsy. There is nothing wrong with me. At least I don't fit in any diagnostic criteria. Sorry, but...I don't want to talk about it right now.”

  
“But if I can help you with anything, just tell me”, Maru offered.  
“I appreciate it. I don't say it because I think it would be polite or nice to say it, but because I actually value what you say.”

  
“Oh!” Maru grinned wide. “Thanks. Now, it's better if I let you sleep now, isn't it?”

  
"It probably is", he confirmed.

  
While Maru stood up, she said: "Call for me if you need something."  
"Okay. Good night..."

  
When he was alone again, he realized that he had never been at a place he didn't know anything about. Before he went for any vacation, he read about his destination in books. Because Elliott had to change his route, there wasn't any chance to gather informations about Stardew Valley.  
There was only one way to find out about his surroundings:  
He would explore them with Leah at his side.

 

 

The next morning, Elliott woke up quite late because he made up his deficit of sleep. When he finally was awake, Harvey came by for a quick examination and was content with the results: Everything was okay.  
"There is only one thing left to mention", the doctor objected, "Your panic attack yesterday. Do you have them every now and then?"

  
"No, it was the first time. I have to admit that I'm easily scared though. I was overwhelmed in this moment. You see, everything I see here is new to me. There is nobody I know, nowhere I can go, the whole situation itself", Elliott explained.

  
"That sounds reasonable. Still, have you ever been diagnosed with any mental health problems?"

  
"The answer is no again. I'm just...weird, I am...a bit different than most people."

  
Harvey asked: "But you are human, aren't you?"

  
"Excuse me?"

  
The doctor didn't dare to ask again. Normally, questions like these shouldn't shy him away, but he appeased himself with the thought that Elliott probably would have told if he really wasn't human.

  
"I said: Why do you think so?"

  
"I guess that's common in artists", Elliott pondered, "If we aren't crazy, who should be? I have been a writer for almost my whole life. It's something you never lose, like learning how to ride a bike."

  
"You know, not everyone who is "different" is mentally ill. Some people are just more sensitive than others, and that's okay. Maybe you just sense the fine facets of impressions better than me? Maybe you are overwhelmed quicker than most persons?"

  
The simplicity of the thought impressed Elliott. Still, he needed a few moments to brood about it.

  
"That is the thought I am clinging to. I just hope that your thesis will prove itself to be true. Thanks, Doctor Harvey."

  
"Don't mention it. Now that the results are good and you're feeling fine, we'll bring you something to eat, and then we don't want to imprison you any longer, right?"  
A look at the clock revealed that it was already 10:20 A.M.  
"Yes", Elliott stated as a smile unfolded on his lips, "I better leave soon."

 

 

Another thirty minutes had passed when he was ready to leave.

  
"So what are you going to see today?", Maru asked Elliott while he put on his coat.

  
He explained: "When I arrived, I saw that you have a farm here in Pelican Town. I'd like to visit it. Until then, I will meet Leah."

  
Harvey chimed in: "You won't find anyone there. We have a farm, but no farmer. The fields lie fallow, it's overgrown with trees and bushes and it's completely deserted."

  
"What? How come so?"

  
"Our farmer passed away a while ago. I remember him well. Mr. Regner was over seventy years old, still he worked hard every day almost until his end."

  
"How sad. Did nobody inherit the farm from him?", Elliott wanted to know.

  
"The mayor says somebody did, but he won't tell who owns the farm now or when somebody will take care of it. I heard that his only daughter already died at a young age. He was never married, and the mother of said daughter left the family shortly after her birth. That is sad indeed. Having a farm is hard enough, but raising a baby at the same time..."

  
Maru added: "Instead, maybe you would like to see the Cindersap Forest. That's where Leah lives. Especially in Autumn, the environment is fascinating and the crisp air is so refreshing."

  
"That might be a good idea indeed", Elliott answered. "Okay, I'm ready. I have to go."

  
"You've got all of your stuff?", Harvey asked.

  
"Yes, I have. There wasn't much, after all. Everything besides my phone and my purse is still in the car. And I've got the letter you gave me. I already said it several times, but I still want to thank you."

  
"Enjoy your stay in Stardew Valley", Maru said, and smiled.

  
"And be careful!", Harvey added.

  
"If I ever am around again, I will stop by. Farewell, until we hopefully meet again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, a surprise chapter out of the ordinary rhythm!  
> The next chapter will be uploaded on Wednesday as usual. Nudity, coffee and a cabin are lying ahead! But not all at the same time ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> ____________________________________________
> 
> There probably won't be any dreams for a while now. At least none about dying. Elliott will learn about the symbolism of this particular dream later. (Why always water, why is it calling for him, is it true what his parents said in this dream...I don't want to tell too much)
> 
> ____________________________________________
> 
> This chapter makes me feel so-so. I'm just really looking forward to when Elliott finally is out of Harvey's place. BUT  
> \- first mention of nonhuman beings, even if without a race  
> \- first mention of Mr. Regner, the deceased farmer  
> So, it's something.


	13. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliott's fate reveals itself in an unexpected opportunity.

Two or three people on the streets gave Elliott weird looks, but he just greeted friendly and went on. He couldn't see any reason to introduce himself to every villager because he would leave soon anyway.

  
Before he went to the beach, Elliott strolled back to the bus stop and the van. What a crazy trip he went on. To him, it felt like he had been on his way for at least a week, but he started his journey just a few days ago.

The door locks clicked as Elliott turned the key, and he climbed in through the rear door. Feeling a bit paranoid, he covered the passage to the driver's cab with a blanket, getting completely undressed afterwards. He had been wearing the bloody shirt from the last evening. The one that was ruined by the shadow brutes still lied around next to Elliott's bags. Although he wanted to get rid of it, he didn't dare to throw it away in a trash can right next to the highway because he feared that maybe somebody would call the police in assumption of a crime.

  
Instead, he planned to throw them away as soon as he was home again.

  
An unpleasant cold tickled Elliott's bare skin, making him feel vulnerable somehow. Goosebumps ran over his body and caused him to shiver for a moment. Luckily, he had a few more shirts with him, and jeans and ties in fitting colors also. Feeling bold, Elliott picked one with a color of aubergines, one of his favorite colors as it symbolized vain, unconventionality and extravagance. He only combined it with black, but at least his shoes, which would have looked rather ordinary otherwise, were lacquered ones.

  
If other villagers got to meet him, they could as well know that Elliott was an eccentric already from the beginning.

  
The remedies Harvey gave him were good to feel better, but fresh clothes made Elliott feel great also, even if in another way. Colors gave him a way for expressing what he wanted to be seen like. Over time, he had discovered that dark red was an excellent color for work because it made him appear mature and elegant. However, he got his job partly because his jade green jacket was so appealing to Viducia's eye. Back in highschool, Elliott had had a phase when he would only wear black. Black coats, black shirts, black vests, black ties, black jeans, black shoes – Elliott had even thought about dyeing his hair, still he didn't dare to do so. At least his parents had allowed him to pierce his ears. The holes in his lobes were no longer visible, and every now and then, Elliott still pondered how he could not see how much more beautiful and expressive colors are. Back then, he was considered a weird loner, stern and reserved. Classmates only talked to him when they needed something, for example because he was still the spokesperson of the class, or when they required his help for every kind of homework. In this time, he wrote the concepts for Zayre, the protagonist of his first book. Zayre still testified how sinister Elliott's thoughts were, as he still had an affinity for darkness and everything occult and as he was also a person other people usually avoided.

  
The writer left the car, taking his bag with him, and locked it again. Before he took the way Leah had described, he once again visited the Stardrop Saloon.

  
"It's you!", Gus called out and put away the rag he just used to clean the bar.

  
"Yes, it's me", Elliott mumbled quietly. "Good morning, anyway."

  
"Leah told me what happened. I don't know what to say, besides, uhh...I'm sorry."

  
"I'm sorry also." He took his place at the bar and proceeded: "I will sleep here tonight. There's no way I let anything happen today."

  
"Give me your bag, I'll bring it into your room", Gus insisted.

  
"Many thanks." Elliott handed it over and Gus buzzed away. He came back one minute later and took his place behind the bar again.

  
"Can I bring you anything?", the bartender inquired.

  
Elliott requested: "I already had breakfast, but if you could be so kind and bring me the biggest cup of the strongest coffee you can brew, I would appreciate it."

  
"The biggest cup of...?"  
"...The strongest coffee you can brew, yes. Thanks."  
"I'll do what I can."

  
Because Elliott didn't feel chatty, he just sat there and waited until the divine smell of coffee filled the room like a chorus of angels. The message was the same anyway: the revelation of salvation and peace.  
Gus placed a cup of pitch-black steaming perfection on the counter and asked: "Do you need milk and sugar?"

  
"Sugar? In coffee? That's blasphemy, you know." _Just like this artificial coffee house dishwater_ , he wanted to add, and thought of his father. "I will have a hint of milk in it, though."

  
He watched how the few drops of milk he added formed white clouds in the blackness when he stirred it.

  
Elliott raised the cup to his lips, eagerly, but still careful.

  
When the first drop touched his yearning tongue, it felt like the caffeine was directly injected into his vein, like an opposite of the tranquilizer he got the other night.  
The velvety liquid kissed each of his taste buds while its fragrance sent Elliott into a heaven of pleasure.  
A quiet moan crawled out of his throat after he had swallowed the first sip of the coffee.

  
"This..." He looked into the cup, almost unable to believe what he just tasted, and shivered. "It's so bitter. But so divine! Like Yoba itself, if it ever existed, came down from heaven and blessed this cup of coffee. Like redemption finally came down on me after my oh so stressful journey. Like my inner fire is fueled again."

  
"Did somebody ever tell you that you're kind of an oddity?", Gus wondered.

  
"I get called a disappointment more often, but oddity isn't new to me either."

  
"Oh boy, I...didn't intend to insult you."

  
"Huh? Don't worry, you didn't."

  
The bartender scratched his head, but didn't say anything.  
In the meantime, Elliott let his soul be caressed with every sip while his heart started to pump faster and his rusty imagination finally started to wake up again.  
He would seriously start writing again soon.  
He could feel it.

 

 

Soon after, the writer made his way to the beach. The bridge Leah talked about was already in his sight, and the beloved sea was visible at the horizon.

  
Every step nearer to the water made his skin tingle with joy.

  
A beautiful piece of seaside unfolded before his eyes. It was as peaceful as Elliott remembered the sea to be, and his jittery heart, stimulated by caffeine, calmed down again. Until Leah would arrive, Elliott wanted to be alone by the water for a while. Even if he would only stare at the waves and listen to them.

  
Nothing could stop him from doing so.

  
Nothing, except the house that leaped into his view.

  
Elliott stopped moving.  
What he saw was nothing much, just a little wooden shack with one tiny window.  
It looked like heaven.

  
As he stepped nearer, slowly, carefully, the sand crunching under his shoes, another thought agitated him.

  
He had dreamed of a home exactly like this.  
Nothing fancy, but somewhere he wouldn't be distracted from writing and somewhere he could hear the waves.

  
One step closer to the door, Elliott took a deep breath.  
Two steps closer, shivers ran down his back.  
Three steps closer...  
He needed to know if there was somebody in there.  
Elliott raised his hand to knock at the door...

  
"Ye won't find anyone in there, boy."

  
He flinched and turned around quickly. The man was obviously a fisher – at least his weathered look implied it.

  
He tipped his beret and greeted: "Ahoy there."

  
"...Hello", Elliott answered timidly, "Who are you?"

  
"I could ask you the same", he mumbled into his beard. Still, he replied: "I'm Willy. My ol' pappy built this cabin." After laughing raucously, he added: "There's nobody living in there anymore. See that shop over there on the pier? That's where I live. I sell fish and fishing equipment."

  
"I'm Elliott, a traveller from the north. Coincidentally, I'm also looking for somewhere to live." He touched the rugged wooden door. "This cabin...you said it belongs to your father?"

  
"He passed away. It's mine now...theoretically."

  
"How much is it." It was no question.

  
Willy wondered: "Huh? Ya mean...you want to buy it? Of all the places you could move to, you want this ol' shack?"

  
A warm smile adorned Elliott's lips. "Yes, that's what I'm saying. May I take a look inside?"

  
"Sure..."

  
The floorboards creaked under his feet as he stepped into the abandoned house. An old desk stood opposite of the door and a solid wooden bed at the other end of the cabin.

  
Elliott measured the room. It was seven normal footsteps wide and four footsteps long.

  
His room at home wasn't much bigger, so the size of the cabin wouldn't be any problem.

  
"Ye still want it?", Willy asked behind him. "If you can use it, the desk and the bed are all yours, but that's all I can offer."

  
"I'd love to live here", Elliott said huskily, "I mean it. How much is it now?"

  
"Nothin'. I don't have any use for it, so take it. The only thing you need to pay is a bit of renovation...the roof is leaking, ye know, and a few of the planks should be exchanged as well. If that's okay for you, I'll get in contact with the local carpenter."

  
"I'll pay anything. You don't need to be modest."

  
"Nah, it's fine. I'm happy that I will have a neighbor soon, that's enough for me. Promise me to say _hi_ every now and then, maybe you need some bait or a fishing pole? The Gem Sea is full of good fish, it would be a shame if you didn't catch them when you live here."

  
Elliott agreed: "You're right. I already have a fishing rod, but I will buy everything else from you, I promise."

  
"You are young", Willy murmured, "You're coming here all by yourself? You don't have a family?"

  
"Yes, still I have one. But not for long. I will abandon my old life and start anew here – in a place I have dreamed about so many times."

  
"I guess ya have your reasons. When do you want to move in?"

  
"I'll try to make it in a week. First, I must get everything done: quitting my job, packing my stuff..." _Telling my parents that they will possibly never see me again..._ "As soon as I took care of these things, I will come back and stay."

  
"Good! Don't leave me hangin'. I'm counting on you."

  
"The only reason for me not to come back is my death."

  
Willy laughed heartily. "Then let's seal it! Gimme yer hand."

  
"A-Alright..." The writer extended his hand shyly and blushed.

  
The fisherman grabbed it (Elliott could only glimpse a few impressions of fish) and proclaimed: "Fine, the house is all yours now! Congrats, boy!"

  
"My cabin...my home." Elliott turned away from Willy and strolled over to the window. The enchanting view warmed his heart. Soon, it would unfold before his eyes every morning. Smiling out of the window at first, it faded and turned into a frown. He sighed as his eyes started to burn.

  
Without turning around, Elliott asked: "Would you mind to let me alone for a moment?"

  
"Of course not. It's your cabin, you can kick me out whenever ya want to."

  
As soon as Willy had left, Elliott turned into the room and smiled again. He blinked a few times, then two tears ran over his face.  
It still looked empty, but he would fill it with life and happiness. The place where he would write all day without being disturbed, where he could simply be who he was: he had found it, and he couldn't have been any happier in this moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter makes me happy.
> 
> __________________
> 
> *Dethklok's Duncan Hills Coffee Jingly quietly playing in the background*


	14. Descent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Usually, I write my notes at the end of a chapter, but this time, I don't want to say much at the end, so I put them here this time.  
> So I added a country to the imaginary map of the continent the Ferngill Republic is situated on. It's like in the real world: It's boring without any diversity. I will probably add even more, but most of them won't be very important.  
> I created Elliott and his family in Sims 3, also I'm building their house at the moment :3  
> And now, enjoy.

The fisherman stared into the water when Elliott had dried his tears of joy and came out of the cabin again.

  
"What are you looking at?", he asked curiously as he stepped closer.

  
"The waves are raging", Willy responded quietly, " _They_ have noticed your arrival."

  
"The waves have noticed my arrival?", Elliott repeated confused.

  
"No...take a closer look. Don't you see _them_?"

  
Elliott remained silent for a minute, only hearing the seagulls sing and the noise of the sea. In the moment he wanted to say that he could not see anything, something emerged from the surface, just for a second, before it disappeared in the water again.

  
"Oh my god!", he called out in shock.

  
"They became nervous and fled because they saw that we observed them as well", Willy explained.

  
"Was that...a tail fin?"

  
Willy nodded. "It was."

  
"But it was huge! What kind of fish was this?"

  
"No fish."

  
"What do you mean, no fish--"

  
"Mermen."

  
Elliott stared at Willy with an bewildered expression. "Mermen? You mean, like in the books? Humanoids with fish tails?"  
He answered: "Exactly. They are shy, and their number seems to have decreased since there was an oil spill about forty years ago. When I was a child, I saw them much more often when I was on the sea with my Pappy. Since then, I can spot one of them once a year when I'm lucky."

  
"That sounds awful. I guess the increasing pollution of the oceans endanger them and their habitat additionally."

  
"Yeah, probably. Only a few of them can flee, if they dare. The mermaids and mermen of a high social status transform their fins into legs when they leave the water. Same goes for half-breeds of humans and merpeople. Those of a lower social status, like guards or servants, will suffocate after a few minutes outside of the water because they can't breathe air for long. But life up here is hard for those who leave their home. I have known two or three throughout my life, I'm sure that they are all dead now."

  
"Still", Elliott pondered, "If there are half-breeds, some of the merpeople must have met with a good fate."

  
"They are so rare that I only read about them. It's also difficult to spot them, because they only transform their legs when they enter the waters they were born in or where their parent comes from. When they swim in any other ocean, nothing happens."

  
"I can't believe that they exist. What else is living in this valley?"

  
"Dunno. I heard about friendly shadow brutes, dwarves and a witch that is at least one hundred years old. But the only mythical creatures I have seen and talked to are the merpeople."

  
"Did you even befriend them?"

  
"None of them became a closer friend of mine. Merpeople are literally queer fish. Still I tried to keep contact to them. Every time one of them left the valley, I offered them to come back if they need help. Because none of them ever did, I believe they have died quite early, like I already said. It says in the books that they never stop yearning for the water, so I guess they should have come back."

  
"What an interesting race", Elliott murmured.

  
"Yeh", Willy agreed, "I wish I could see how they live, or what their cities look like. It's thrilling when I meet one of them on the open water. We have a bit of smalltalk then because they already know me. I have been living here for all my life, so they slightly trust me. Then, they submerge and I'm kinda sad afterwards..."

  
"Are you possibly lonely?"

  
"It's mostly the fact that they are down there and I know that they are endangered, but I can't help them. Nevertheless, the sea makes me a bit melancholic from time to time. Isn't it strange? After all those years..."

  
"Oh, I know exactly what you mean", Elliott stated. "I feel so refreshed whenever I'm at the sea, but sometimes, instead of feeling relaxed, the waves set my mind in motion and darkness blankets my heart..."

  
The two men, friends, neighbors, stood side by side and gazed at their beloved home for a while without talking. Grey spume flowed around their shoes and a cold breeze tousled Elliott's hair. Usually, he would have grabbed his comb, but his hair was irrelevant in this moment.

  
Only one fact mattered: He was looking at his new home.

  
It annoyed him that he couldn't stay. Elliott wanted nothing more than to just disappear from the joke he had called his life back in Agison City. He wanted everyone to remember him just like he was, and not that their last memory with him would be characterized by dispute and arguments. What also bugged him was the fact that his parents were too old to just make another child. He wished they could be happy with a son who was just what they wanted, someone who wouldn't disturb his mother and someone who would go golfing with his father.

  
Instead, they would lose their only offspring. Theoretically, they could consider Elliott dead.

  
The thought sounded awful in Elliott's mind, but then he started to ask himself what was worse:  
Having a child that is nothing but a disappointment or having no children at all?

  
No time was left to think about it. Footsteps could be heard in the soft sand. When Elliott turned around, his two reasons to move to Pelican Town appeared in his view:  
Leah, right before his eyes, with the cabin in the background.

  
In the bright sunlight, her hair gleamed even more magnificently. She wore a black and green checkered blouse, tight black jeans and leather boots, and in her hand was a basket, covered with a woollen blanket.  
"Hello!", she called and waved with her free hand. "I didn't expect you to be here already! But you made another friend, how nice."

  
Willy grinned at her. "I'll leave the two of you alone now."

  
"Oh, you don't need to. You can join us if you want."

  
"Nah, it's fine. I've got enough work at the shop anyhow. Elliott, tell me when you leave."

  
"Sure", he stated, "I don't know when, but I will tell you as soon as I know."

  
"Okay, see you around!"

  
Leah and Elliott watched Willy as he strolled away to the pier and into his shop. "Well", Leah said, "Then we'll have our picnic alone."

  
"A picnic sounds wonderful right now. How thoughtful of you."

  
"How could we enjoy our time by the sea better than with a snack?" She placed the basket in the sand, making sure it was far enough away from the water, and unfolded the blanket. Both of them sat down opposite of each other, giving Elliott the opportunity to take a deep look into Leah's stone grey eyes.

  
"So, take what you like! I've got fresh blackberries, blackberry jam, wild plums, milk, bread, eggs, even some fine goat cheese and some tasty freshly roasted hazelnuts!" She opened the basket, and a pleasant nutty smell arose from inside.

  
Elliott picked out a handful and enjoyed the warmth for a moment before he ate one. The robust, aromatic flavor made him smile with delight.

  
"Thank you for all of this", he said.

  
"My pleasure! So, how are you feeling?"

  
"I'm feeling much better. It's like I returned to my own self."

  
"That's nice to hear."

  
"So, I heard you live in the forest?", Elliott asked out of interest. "It sounds like a placid spot to live in."

  
Leah explained: "Yes, I'm living in Cindersap Forest. It's not far away from here. When you go over the bridge, turn left immediatly and then you're already there. I love it there. Forests are places full of magic!"

  
"Yes, they are!", he agreed. "Even if I for myself prefer the seaside..."

  
"That's understandable also. I often spend my time here when I need a break. Unfortunately, I never saw the sea before I came to Stardew Valley."

  
Looking out to the sea, Elliott said: "Strangely, I have never been here as well. I have seen every other ocean in the world. My parents took my to the most exotic places for vacation, but never to the sea that is the nearest to our home. Every time I suggested it, they declined it. _The Gem Sea is just around the corner, that's boring. Let's go there another time_ , they said. We never did. But my father isn't fond of water anyway."

  
"How can somebody not love water?", Leah wondered.

  
"He said being in open waters makes him feel uncomfortable. That's why he always sat at the beach, but never went into the sea with me and my mother."

  
"Well, the ocean is undeniably impressive and slightly frightening from time to time", Leah said and nodded. While she nibbled at her goat cheese bread, she studied Elliott's profile. He was so much more handsome than Kel, her ex-boyfriend, and seemed to be sophisticated and polite. When she saw him for the first time, something happened inside of her, although she did not know what it was yet. At least, she couldn't resist him and she was glad she spoke to him the day before.

  
She looked at the soft curve of his eyebrow, his remarkable cheekbone, his elegant nose and his beguiling lips, the shiny waves of his hair, untidied by the wind, his moss green eyes staring out into the blue.  
All of a sudden, still viewing the water, he recited: "Shades of green and aqua blue, the sea painted a thousand hues, beneath thundering ocean wave...out of the reach of mariners graves..."

  
"Elliott...that was beautiful."

  
"Huh?" He turned his head towards Leah again. "Oh...I guess I got carried away. You know, it's just so lovely here and my thoughts drifted off a bit and then I remembered this beautiful poem I once read...I'm sorry."

  
She appeased him: "There's no need to be sorry. Poetry is a wonderful way to express one's feelings. Do you know many poems by heart?"

  
"I do. Not only poems, but also songs, musical numbers and quotes from books, even in two languages, for I also understand Byrolian. Lyrics just make me happy."

  
"You are from abroad?"

  
Elliott explained: "No, I'm a Ferngiller of half-byrolian descent. It's a beautiful language, and many of the world's most famous poets and writers are from Byrol. I have to admit that I don't speak it fluently though – my mom was young when her family imigrated, so she didn't need her mother tongue very often since then. I am better at understanding. Sometimes, my grandparents start to furiously discuss in Byrolian when they disagree about something." He made himself a bread with blackberry jam. "It is entertaining to hear."

  
"Hehe, I can imagine. I heard a lot about Byrol, the winters must be insanely cold there!"

  
"Insanity is a good word to describe their winters. It's cold all year, but we spent some of our winter holidays in Varga, where my mother was born, and it's really not possible to be compared with the winters in Ferngill. I like it warmer, like here. The summers are pleasant here, aren't they?"

  
"Yes", Leah stated, "We have long, warm summers down here. I sometimes snooze in the forest, just enjoying the weather."

  
Their refreshing conversation was interrupted by the sound of a violin.

  
"Oh, that's my phone", Elliott noticed, "Excuse me."

  
He saw that it was someone from home, so either his parents or an employee.

  
Picking up, he answered: "Sterling here."

  
"Hi Elliott, it's me!"

  
"Oh, hi mom. How are you?"

  
"We're fine", she stated, "How was your vacation so far? What are you doing?"

  
_Oh, nothing much. I was cut open in a small match, but it was only a scratch, not that I wasn't able to move for a day or something. And by the way, I'm moving out._

  
"...Elliott?"

  
"Uh, I'm fine. I arrived at my destination and it's wonderful around here. I have already seen—"

  
Sofia interrupted him: "Did you take any photos?"

  
"...What? No. Why?"

  
"I don't have the nerve to listen to your explanations. It would have been better if you could just show me some photos as soon as you're back home."

  
"...Tell me that you actually didn't mean that", Elliott said, being completely stunned.

  
"Anyway", she proceeded, "Will you come home tomorrow? We prepared a surprise for your birthday! It would be nice if you could see it."

  
He took a moment to think. First, he wanted to reject, but then he evaluated that the idea was not bad at all. It meant that his parents could celebrate their son's birthday one last time. Additionally, Elliott had found somewhere to stay, and the sooner he cut all ties, the quicker he could move into his new home.

  
"Yes, I will", he answered, "I will arrive quite late though. I need at least eight hours for my way, probably nine."

  
That was in fact a lie, but he didn't want to tell anything about his actual location. Six hours, seven if he counted two or three breaks, would be enough.

  
"The earlier you're home, the happier we would be. Your dad can't await it. He has awesome news to tell. Because of this, he's all jittery and excited, and also annoying. But at least he's right, his news are gigantic. We will tell you when you're home."

  
"Sounds good", Elliott lied.

  
"Nice! Be careful out there. See you tomorrow!"

  
_Click._  
One of the last talks Elliott would have with his mother had ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Used poem: "The Silent Sea" by Debi Fields.


	15. Bliss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Elliott looked up from his phone and sighed. What he felt was a mix of sadness, because he would leave soon, and joy, because he knew what he did it for.

  
"That was my mother. I just decided that I will leave tomorrow in the early morning. You know, I turn twenty tomorrow and it is a nice opportunity to bid them farewell, although they don't know yet."

  
"To bid them farewell?", Leah repeated, "Wait. Does that mean...?"

  
"Yes, it does. Leah..." He couldn't suppress a bold smile. "I will live here."

  
"Oh...!" Without thinking about it, she jumped at Elliott with her arms wide open, hugging him tight. Her movement was so quick and unexpected for him that he lost his balance almost immediatly and took her with him when he fell backwards, landing on his elbows.  
Out of reflex and expectation of pain, Elliott closed his eyes.

  
When he opened them again, he stared directly into hers. Leah's face was only a few millimetres away.

  
Even worse, while they unintentionally changed into an almost outstreched position, Leah had slipped between Elliott's legs.

  
The time stopped. Various facets of grey gleamed in her eyes, opened so wide that her irides could be seen completely.

  
He did not dare to move. This moment was too delicate, so easy to destroy. Such a little distance between their lips, but so many scruples hindering Elliott to kiss them. Their newfound friendship was a precious gift to him, as Leah was the only person he considered a friend.

  
Still, the opportunity was too tempting for him to resist.

  
Elliott closed his eyes and...

  
"Oh my god, I'm sorry!", Leah called out and jumped up. "I didn't mean to do this. Shucks! This is awkward."

  
Only about two seconds had passed since she fell onto Elliott, now she sat in her old spot again, her cheeks blushed with embarressment.

  
"Don't worry, it's okay", he mumbled while he started to realize what he just intended to do. An urge to slap himself so hard that he couldn't feel his face anymore grew inside of him. Trying to kiss someone he just met was something he never considered when he was at his senses. Especially Leah didn't deserve to be touched in such a disrespectful and immature way, he thought, and scolded himself.

  
At least, she apparently had not noticed what Elliott was about to do.

  
"Uh, anyway, where will you be moving?", Leah wanted to know.

  
He managed to smile again when he pointed at his cabin. "See, over there."

  
"What? You will move into Willy's cabin?"

  
"No, it's Elliott's cabin now. That's where I will live, eat, sleep, and, most important: write." Seeing the confused look on Leah's face, he added: "I know it's small, but I won't need any more space, for I don't want to take many things with me. It would distract me from writing anyway. If I want to move, I just have to step out of my door. This is enough freedom for me."

  
"Wow, that's amazing. I mean, I live pretty minimalistic myself, but such a small place without any electricity..."

  
"I just forbid myself any distance from writing, that's all."

  
Leah contradicted: " _That's all_? It actually isn't. It also means you can only cook with fire, you have no heating in winter, you will need candles...your attitude worries me a bit, to be honest. It sounds you are going to overwork yourself."

  
"Well, I better do", Elliott said quietly while he once again stared at the ocean.

  
"At least allow me to look after you. I suppose you could need a little support every now and then."

  
"In that case..." He looked back at her. "Perhaps you would do me an even greater honor?"

  
"Oh...? What do you mean?"

  
"I could really use a critic once in a while. You could read my script if you like. It would help me a lot."

  
She agreed: "Yes, I'd love to! What an honor. I'll do my best!"

  
"Even for me, it is hard to describe my bliss in this moment", Elliott said, and Leah watched his contented smile.

  
"Try it", she encouraged him.

  
"I am...so blessed to have met you. And furthermore, look around us. This is even more than what I wished for. What I found is a new friend, the sea and a home. All of this, just because I was not strong enough to fight a horde of shadow brutes. Isn't that a strange twist?"

  
"Elliott, I don't know your whole story yet, but it makes me glad that all of your pain won't go to waste. I am sure you had to endure so much. It seems like luck finally smiles upon your fate."

  
"See? This is exactly what I meant. Your kind words can mend my tormented heart." He sighed. "Still, the thought that I have to leave tomorrow..."

  
"I have an idea", Leah proposed, "How about I introduce you to some of the other residents in the evening? We could have a bit of fun and you should say hi to our mayor anyway, now that you know that you'll be one of us."

  
_One of us._

  
Elliott grew fond of the thought that he could actually belong somewhere. Although he could not imagine it to happen, because it never worked in his life, he wanted to believe that it could possibly become real.  
Leah snapped her fingers in front of his face. "What do you think? Shall we do it?"

  
"Ahem...yes...it sounds like a good idea."

  
"Nice!" She pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I'll just message him real quick. Let's meet him in the saloon, that's the best place we have. Plus, if you want to go to bed, you can simply retreat into your room."

  
"Alright. ...What kind of person is he?"

  
"Not to worry. Lewis is a friendly man, and he will happy about our new inhabitant. As long as you are nice, he will be. So, what will we do now? I could show you our library and museum, that would be interesting for the librarian in you, right? Or we could stroll over to my place. We could even just go exploring! ...You don't look quite elated."

  
"Leah, all of these ideas are exciting, but that's a bit too much for me today. What do you think of doing all of this as soon as I come back?"

  
She answered: "But of course! Sorry, I probably was a bit overenthusiastic." Her phone beeped, and Leah found out: "Oh, Mayor Lewis has no time for us tonight. He wrote me that he will be busy with totally important mayor duties. That's strange. What kind of duties does a mayor have in the evening? Anyway, he asks if we can visit him in his house until the afternoon."

  
"I'd love to be his guest. Write him that I'm really looking forward to it."

  
"Done! ...So, what do we do now? Before we visit Lewis, I'll need to wash up the dishes."

  
Elliott mentioned: "I can help you if you want. Then I would like to freshen up a bit. My hair starts to feel limp. When that is done, I consider it wise to introduce myself to the carpenter also. He surely wants to know who he does his work for. Phew, so much to do, so little time."

  
"Our carpenter is actually a woman. I'm just telling you so you're not so surprised when you see her. But I'm a bit worried, to be honest. I know, you said you feel better and you look much more lively, too, but you shouldn't overdo it. Robin lives up in the mountains and I really don't know if it's the best idea to shoo you up there. Instead, I guess it's cleverer to just ask her if she would like to have a drink with us at the saloon. We go there anyway and I know that Robin is also there every now and then – why not combine one thing with the other?"

  
"Ah, that's once again very kind of you. That sounds like a good solution."

  
"Good, I wrote her", Leah said, "It would be clever if we exchanged our phone numbers as well. Especially when we split up later."

  
The plain thought of being alone again felt unreal to Elliott. Leah's celestial voice tantalized him with every syllable, but not hearing it anymore seemed even worse.

  
"You know what?", Leah proceeded, "I'll do the dishes and you go over into your room in the meantime. I don't need your help, it's okay. Write me as soon as you are done. Then I'll pick you up and take you to the mayor's manor."

  
"Are you sure that you don't need my assistance?", Elliott wanted to know.

  
"Absolutely. Take your time, I need to dress up a bit as well."

  
"If you say so."

  
They exchanged their numbers and Elliott helped packing Leah's basket. He carried it for her until they had passed the bridge and split up.

  
As they parted from each other, grief once again crawled into his heart.

  
"See you later", both of them said.

  
If Elliott knew that he would Leah see again so soon, why did their goodbye hurt so bad though?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "totally important mayor duties"


	16. Thought

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leah and Elliott think about the past and the future.

He knew that he was still young, but Elliott felt like he turned into a teenager again.  
Finally, he realized that he had a bad case of _having a crush_.  
Having a crush on Leah, more precisely.

  
When he brushed his hair in front of the mirror, he suddenly realized that he was grinning wide, and he felt a bit ashamed afterwards. Maybe he grinned at everyone he saw on his way to the saloon.  
At least those two persons didn't look like ones who would like him. One was a young man with a football, the other one was a woman with short blond curls, and the way she walked indicated that she was already drunk at this time of the day.

  
Coming back to his previous thought, Elliott remembered his last relationship. Megan Keach was her name, and although everything between him and her was a bit arranged, Elliott was okay with it because his feelings for Megan had actually been strong. Her father was nobody less than the mayor of Agison City; their fathers had been former classmates and kept in touch ever since. It was heartwarming for them to see that their children ended up in the same class also and even started getting closer to each other over the years.

  
Elliott felt so lucky to have her, until they once went for a walk and he took Megan's hand. He immediatly knew that something was wrong. Now he felt so stupid that he let himself be appeased when she said that everything was okay. From that day on, their other classmated started giggling as soon as they saw Megan and Elliott together.

  
They had all known that Megan cheated on him while she was at a party.

  
Still, Elliott's parents had asked him about her over and over again. They said he could just forgive her because she had only made one mistake and that they loved her almost like she was their own daughter.  
Because he was still mad and heartbroken, he overreacted when he heard their statement.

  
_This is bullshit!_ , Elliott had yelled, _You love this girl like your own daughter? You don't love her at all! At most, you love her like your cars or your expensive clothes or something else you use to pose! Furthermore, you want the neighbors to talk about you. "Oh, did you hear that the Sterling boy is with the oldest daughter of Mayor Keach?" This is what you wish for. And when the rest of the family is over, you can tell them what a good choice I made when I forgave her. Forget it! I will never pardon what Megan did to me._

  
More than one apology was needed in the aftermath. Although he knew that he deserved it because he considered cursing childish and unobjective, Elliott also was aware that he was right with every word he had said.  
Superficial people, always solicitous about keeping the shallow facade up.

  
It was hard for Elliott to forgive anyone. His only solace was his own disappearance. Surely, he knew that he would be hurt by other people, over and over again. This time, he would just avoid anyone who would discourage him.

  
His thoughts flew back to Leah. Love, such a tricky matter. For a short moment, Elliott even asked himself if he was maybe just overreacting because he had found someone with similar interests.  
He killed the quiet voice in the back of his mind.

  
Somewhen, he would need to tell Leah about his feelings, although he feared it.

  
Possibly, she did not feel the same.  
Probably, she did not even think about him in this moment, too.

 

 

But she did.  
She was fishing for a spoon in the soapy water, found it and cleaned it with the sponge afterwards. While she did, all of Leah's thoughts flew over to Elliott, this adorable man. She thought of his splendor and his deep voice and his hair. How much she loved his mane. Leah sighed at the plate she just rubbed, until she noticed that she did it much too slow and gently.

  
Did she just imagine it to be Elliott's head?  
In her mind, she scolded herself for being so inane.

  
Still, it was so tempting, so Leah closed her eyes and let a picture of him be created in her fantasy.

  
His bright blond hair gleamed in the sunlight and he gave Leah a deep look out of the blue eyes under his pierced eyebrows.

  
It was supposed to be Elliott, but she recognized him as Kel.

  
"Why?", Leah asked although nobody could hear her.

  
Life was going so well, especially without her ex. Whatever he was doing after Leah had moved out, she thought she doesn't care and would easily forget him.

  
It took a second try to imagine Elliott's face.

 

 

Later in the afternoon, Elliott had started doing what he was best at: writing.  
It was unusual for him, but he filled the pages while he was lying on the bed. He did not know why he deviated from his habit of always writing at the desk, but he enjoyed the comfort as long as he could.  
Writing in bed would be impossible in his cabin, at least as long as he didn't want to burn it down.

  
And that was definitely not his plan.

  
A short beep signalized a message on his phone. The display revealed a message from Leah.  
_Hi, are you still ready? Text me when I can pick you up :) - Leah_

  
Fourteen words, and still Elliott caught himself grinning again like the dumbest idiot in the whole Ferngill Nation.

  
He cleared his throat, although he wouldn't talk, and replied: _Ready when you are. See you soon._

  
Twenty minutes ago, he had asked her first, but Leah had replied that she would need a few moments more, whatever she was doing.  
A chilly breeze welcomed Elliott outside, and just a few moments later, Leah who already approached him. She had changed into a long sleeved grey dress with autumn leaves printed on the skirt that reached her knees. A red scarf and leather boots completed her lovely outfit.

  
"Hello, Leah. We meet again."

  
"Yes, finally! Did you have a nice time?"

  
"I certainly did. You look gorgeous...like a fairy rose on a clearing, kissed by the sunlight that shines through the crowns."

  
"Ohh..." Once again, an endearing smile graced her blushed face. "Thanks. I just didn't want to look all that casual next to you, so I picked one of my few dresses."

  
Elliott chuckled. "You can wear them as often as you like. Dresses make you look even more feminine and elegant."

  
She stared at him for a few seconds and raised her eyebrows. Seeing her so surprised confused Elliott as well, and he asked: "What concerns you? Is it something I said?"

  
"You said nothing wrong, but I'm a bit perplexed. Usually, people say that I'm not very feminine because I'm so tall and lean."

  
"Ah, is that so? Tell them to get their eyes checked, will you? Don't let them tell you such nonsense, because you are womanly and beautiful, like I already declared."

  
A quiet short squeal could be heard from Leah, and she covered her face with her hands. "You are so charming that I almost can't take it!", she answered, but regained her compusure quickly. Nonetheless, her cheeks were still glowing when she took her hands off of them. "Okay, let's get going now, shall we?"  
"But of course." Elliott shortly pondered if he should offer his arm, but he didn't dare.

  
No need to act as hasty as he felt.


	17. Mayor

Leah lead him to the house that was probably one of the biggest in town. It looked neat and adequate for a mayor with its bright white facade without any blemishes. Obviously it was freshly renovated.

  
When they rang the doorbell, an elderly man opened, and as Leah already stated, he looked friendly indeed. He grayed already a while ago; Elliott guessed that Lewis was at least sixty years old, if not even older.

  
"Come in, come in!", he invited and closed the door behind him. "So this is our new inhabitant! I'm the mayor of Pelican Town, but just call me Lewis. Nice to meet you!"

  
Elliott looked down to him (he was probably the smallest man he had seen in Pelican Town). "My name is Elliott Sterling. The pleasure is all mine."

  
Like it was custom, they shook hands. Elliott almost twitched, because Lewis grabbed his hand so firmly that it hurt.

  
And what he felt...Elliott was surprised for a moment, but then he realized it was not really unexpected.

  
Dishonesty teased his fingertips, and of all the things he could feel in other persons, there was nothing that disgusted Elliott more. It leaped into his hand and creeped up his veins. He couldn't suppress a short tremble, but luckily Lewis didn't pay attention to it.  
Because the impression was so strong that Elliott could even feel it physically, he guessed that whatever the mayor was hiding was maybe something big.  
Or something rather small and he was just lying to a huge number of people about it.

  
Or even both.

  
He was thankful for his ability in this moment. It warned him to be careful towards Lewis, who didn't look like a bad person at all, but rather like the typical friendly grandpa.  
Elliott knew that everyone lied every now and then, although he always tried to be honest and genuine himself. Probably, Lewis' worries were none of Elliott's business anyway. Still, precaution wouldn't hurt.

  
"Sit down, feel at home!", he offered. "Would you like a cup of coffee?"

  
"I don't like to reject your offer, but may I ask for a cup of peppermint tea instead?", Elliott requested, and Leah chimed in. "Peppermint tea sounds wonderful. I'd like some, too."

  
They stepped into a rather unspectacular living room and sat down at a large table. Lewis probably used it alone, at least Elliott assumed it because he could find no signs that indicated a wife or children. There was nothing more than a small kitchen, a desk, a few plants and two doors, most presumably one to the bathroom and one to the bedroom. The only photos on the wall showed Pelican Town and other landscapes.

  
"So you don't like coffee, too?", Leah asked, and chuckled.

  
"Actually I am probably even addicted to it", Elliott explained, "But that is exactly the problem. Gus made me a gigantic cup in the morning, my heart is still fluttering although I have a certain tolerance towards caffeine. If I have some more, I am afraid that I will go on the highway in order to get home, just to notice that I left the car here, if you know what I mean."

  
His friend bursted into laughter. "That would be hilarious!"

  
While Lewis prepared the tea, he said: "So you will be moving here, how nice. Tell me a bit about you. Leah only wrote me that someone will, but not who, where or why. I'm all ears."

  
"Oh, even if she did, there isn't much to say about me. I'm not special or extraordinary in any way."

  
"No need to be humble about yourself", Leah interfered, "You are a good person, Kel. Uh, I mean Elliott...ahem."

  
He gave her a confused look, but then went on without commenting it further. "Willy gave me the cabin that he inherited from his father. That's where I will live. I am a writer and I plan to release my first book next year or the year after at the latest."

  
"That's exactly what Pelican Town needs. I was also happy when Leah came here. Now we already have two young artists amongst us! Are you from the big city also?"

  
Elliott nodded. "Yes, I am. I'm from Agison City, have you ever heard about it?"

  
"Hmm..." Lewis scratched his mustache before he answered: "I have heard it, but isn't that quite far away from here?"

  
"That depends on how you define _far away_ , but it's not just around the corner. One way takes a few hours by car."

  
"But there are a few things I don't understand. Why didn't anyone tell me earlier? I would have prepared a warmer welcome for you."

  
"I suppose there is a misunderstanding between us. I did not know my way earlier also; not that I planned it or anything. In the morning, I talked to Willy and he showed me his cabin. Therefore, I asked him if I could buy it from him and he gifted it to me. When I left my home for this trip, I planned to find a new home. The rest happened spontaneously”, Elliott explained.

  
Lewis served the tea and then sat down at the front side of the table between Elliott and Leah.

  
"But that means, nobody of your relatives know about it yet? You have a family for sure, haven't you?"

  
"Both of your assumptions are right. When I see them tomorrow, I will tell them that they won't see me again so soon."

  
"That's horrible!", Lewis called out and made an angry grimace. "How can you do this? Why do you leave your family behind?"

  
The sudden change of atmosphere made Elliott nervous, yet he managed to seem calm on the outside. His eyebrows sank, and he answered: "Do you know me or my family? Do you know what maybe happened between us? Before you judge, I recommend you to take a look at my way and every decision that brought me here."

  
Leah chimed in: "Lewis, I'm sure that Elliott wouldn't change his life in such a drastic way without any reasons."

  
"And even if", Elliott went on, "I don't need any reasons. I can move wherever I want, even if it's on another continent and I wouldn't even have to explain myself."

  
"That doesn't change my opinion and I still find it awful", Lewis grumbled. "Other people would be happy if they still had their family."

  
"Find it awful all you want. As long I can live in peace, I won't complain. My relatives use most of their energy to keep me from writing. Nobody believes that I can actually be successful with anything I want to achieve. It's not like I don't understand my parents at all. Of course they are disappointed because my highschool degree was the second best but I still won't go to college. But I realized that I can never make them happy or proud if I just do what I want. Their pessimism is sickening. Now I need distance and time for myself. If I let everyone distract me over and over again, I will never finish a book. That's why I came here."

  
The mayor answered: "I guess you are old enough to decide it yourself. Still I don't understand."

  
"I know it's harsh and I can't expect everyone to comprehend my actions."

  
"As the mayor of this town, I am endeavoring to make life enjoyable for every resident. That means, no matter what you have done, I hope that you will find what you are looking for and that you will finish your book. Whenever there are problems, tell me."

  
Elliott sighed quietly and relaxed a bit. Gladly, the mayor didn't let his feelings influence him too much and he still managed to act rational. "Thank you. Until now, I'm fine, but I will ask you if I need you. In the beginning, Leah will probably help me a bit by showing me around and introducing me to more people."

  
Lewis explained: "In twelve days, we celebrate the Stardew Valley Fair. It's a good chance to meet everyone and have a good time together. We would all be happy to see you, I'm sure."

  
"Eventful times are lying ahead", Elliott said quietly.  
"You can make it the time of your life", Leah answered, looked into his eyes and smiled. "I will be there for you whenever you need me. Let's do this...together."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I already stated, I will take a break over the holidays. I wish each and every one of you a merry christmas and peaceful days especially for those who have to work (I'm with you!)  
> Let's see what awaits us 2017...


	18. Sunbeam

**GAME OVER** , the screen displayed in bold letters.

  
"Oh no, not again! I always lose in the same level!"

  
"Calm down, Abigail." Sebastian's voice made her turn the chair towards the billiard table. His torso laid on the green surface while his eyes fixed the ball he wanted to hit. Without looking away, he added: "Maybe you need a break."

  
"Or maybe you just suck", Sam assumed. He bought himself another Joja Cola from the vending machine.

  
"Hey, be careful with what you say", Abigail said and growled at her friend. "Sebby, you want a beer?"

  
"Sure", he mumbled.

  
"I'll be right back."

  
She strolled out of the room over to a bar. As usual for this time of the day, Abigail and her friends were almost alone. Pam guzzled a pale ale and stared into the emptiness. Abigail felt sorry for her daughter every now and then. Willy, Leah and Robin sat around a table. They had not been there when Abigail arrived, so she raised her hand and greeted them.

  
"I'd like to have two beers, Gus." While she waited, she turned around and leaned against the bar. "Hey, usually I don't see you around here so early. Is there something to celebrate today?"

  
It was Leah who gave the answer. " _Celebrate_ is the wrong word, but somebody new is moving into town. I want to introduce him to Robin, and of course to you while you're already here."

  
"A new boy is coming to town?" Abigail received the beer and murmured: "Thanks, Gus. Anyway", she proceeded, not without squinting over to Sebastian, "Is he hot?"

  
" _Hot_? ...What kind of question is that supposed to be? He's, I mean, ummm, I can't deny that he's handsome..."

  
"You're blushing!"

  
"Me? Definitely not!"

  
Robin chuckled and chimed in: "Abigail is right. You're totally blushing. Seems like he's a cutie pie."

  
"Pardon me, you're not talking about me, aren't you?"

  
A young man, Abigail had never seen him before, stepped into the room from out of the hallway. Both of them started to scrutinize each other and Abigail answered her own question: _Hot_ was not a proper description. Like Leah stated, he was definitely handsome, but not Abigail's type. Even further, she wasn't even sure if he was into women. His dark purple button down shirt, black tie and black lacquered shoes could mean something else.  
What she could read in his green eyes was curiosity, but also calmness.

 

 

Seeming relaxed cost Elliott so much self-control. The girl with the purple curls couldn't guess how fast his pulse was throbbing.

  
"Whatever..." He gave everyone a warm smile. "So I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Elliott. I'm new in town."

  
"Wait, your name is Elliott?", Abigail repeated, "Your father told me about you, but he didn't say you would move into town."

  
"That means your father is either a doctor or a shopkeeper, am I right?"

  
She nodded. "Yes, the latter. I'm Abigail Burnett, Pierre's daughter. Nice to meet you and stuff."

  
The woman between Leah and Willy, most likely Robin, stood up and extended her hand. "I should introduce myself also. Hi, I'm Robin Calla. Nice to meet you."

  
"Miss Calla! I'm pleased to meet you." Elliott grabbed her hand and he was relieved with what he felt: Whatever was on her mind, it was nothing serious. Apparently, her thoughts were nowhere else than they were supposed to be, and she was actually calm, not like Elliott. He added: "Thank you in advance for the renovation. I will bring the money with me when I come back."

  
She raised her hands in an appeasing gesture. "No need to be so formal. Call me Robin. And, no problem. That's my job. I'll prepare the bill for you. Don't hurry, you can take your time unpacking your stuff and I won't be upset if you need a few days until you make it up to our house." Suppressing a chuckle, Robin added: "Although you probably won't need much time. You can't bring much with you, moving into that small cabin."

  
"This I can't deny. Packing and unpacking my things will be done quick."

  
"Shouldn't my son be around here somewhere?", Robin wondered.

  
"Yup", Abigail answered and turned to the room where him and Sam were playing. "Hey, boys, come over here!"

  
A blonde haired boy came out first. His wild hairstyle probably required lots of hair spray. Together with his casual clothes, he seemed quite cool, but probably he and Elliott didn't share any interests and wouldn't get to know each other closer. The other young man was a sharp contrast, dressed in black completely, from his parka and his skinny jeans to his sneakers. Even his hair was dyed black and it covered one of his eyes. "Nice, I wanted to go smoking anyway", he murmured. "Hi, I'm Sebastian."

  
"He's my son, by the way", Robin explained.

  
The other one added: "And I'm Sam. What's good?"

  
Elliott shrugged his shoulders. "Not much." Before he could introduce himself, Sebastian asked him: "Are you Harvey's emergency from yesterday?"

  
"Sebastian! Aren't you old enough to see that it's impolite to ask this in front of all those people?", Robin admonished, only receiving a quiet "meh" as an answer.

  
"Don't worry, it's okay", Elliott said. "Yes, I am. How did you know? Why do I even ask, probably the whole town talked about it."

  
He explained: "We were having dinner when Leah came by to pick up Maru."

  
"Or to enlighten you: I'm also Maru's mother, what makes her Sebastian's sister."

  
"Half-sister", he corrected. "Whatever. I'll be right back." Sebastian fumbled in his pocket and pulled a cigarette out shortly after. He shambled out into the cold, and Robin apologized: "I'm sorry, Elliott. He seems cold-hearted and unapproachable, and nobody believes me when I say that he's a good boy. But he is! ...Probably it's because Sebastian never forgave me that we moved so far away from his father's home. You know, I divorced his father and am now married for the second time. Although he was still young when I married Demetrius and had we Maru together, Sebby never accepted him. He never even took our name. Me and Maru have Demetrius' name, Calla, but Sebastian's surname is Hunter, like my first husband..." She sighed. "Sorry! It simply broke out of me. It's just that I don't know where I went wrong. We tried so hard to make him happy, but no matter what we do, it doesn't seem to impress him."

  
Leah carefully observed Elliott, and the more Robin explained, the more petrified his expression became. With eyes wide open and crimped eyebrows, he stared down onto the ground. When she gently touched his shoulder, he flinched. "Are you okay?"

  
"Yes, I am", he answered in a monotone voice and raised his head again. "I only realized that Sebastian and I apparently share some similarities. Please excuse my pensive mood...I'll think about it another time."  
Sebastian was obviously quick at smoking, at least he already entered the saloon again. While he hung his parka and received his beer from Abigail, Sam asked: "So what kind of music are you listening to? Looking at you, I'd say hair metal?"

  
"Oh lord, never. Metal is fine, but not this particular style. Still, I like to play piano and stick to classical music then."

  
"Meh", Sam made and apparently lost his interest.

  
"Do you like video games?", Abigail wanted to know. "There is this level in _Journey of the Prairie King_ I just can't beat...”

  
“They are not my cup of tea, sorry. I prefer books.”

  
“Have you read _Wardens of the West_?”

  
Elliott smiled. “But of course. Although I'm always sceptical about books that are hyped so much and it felt like I touched those books at least two hundred times on a typical work day in the library, _Wardens of the West_ is simply epic.”

  
“Ohh, finally! I thought I was the only one with a bit of good taste in fantasy books in this valley. Edwin was the best protagonist I ever read. How good this book was written in general. I'm so looking forward to the sequel. Every few weeks, I go and ask Gunther if he knows something new about the release. You're a librarian, too, did I get that right?”

  
“Lay librarian would be more precise”, he corrected.

  
Abigail replied: "Cool, will you start working at our library also?"

  
"No. I love working with literature, but I will be an author. The thought that you will be able to lend my books someday excites me!"

  
"I never asked you what kind of book you write", Leah pondered.

  
"Ah, it's nothing special anyway. Don't expect too much."

  
"Elliott, how do you think your books will sell if you have an attitude like this?", Robin scolded him, "Come on, tell us about your book!"

  
"Alright, alright! The title of my novel is _Camellia Station_. It is about an architect, Zayre is his name, and he travels all over the continent in order to reveal the secrets of a long-forgotten ancient civilization. A train accident causes him and the other travellers to get trapped in the tundra. While they wait for help, Zayre discovers even more mysteries, and all of them seem to have something to do with the cheeky conductor Idalia. Which secrets she possibly hides and if Zayre finds the answers he is looking for? I won't tell you anything more, so it is up to you whether you find out or not as soon as my book is published!"

  
"Sounds good so far!", Abigail stated, "And if I'm becoming one of your fans, it means I can even get signed copies of your books without having to pay tons of money for it! That would be so cool."

  
Her words made him blush, and he started playing with his hair. "It would be such a great honor if somebody would like to get books signed by me. Only the plain thought that people could actually like what I write makes me tingle. This is what I live for."

  
"Aren't movies much cooler?", Sam grumbled. "I mean, nothing against you as a person, but I think books are boring. They don't have any soundtrack or good actors."

  
Elliott was, much to his own surprise, not even mad. He quietly chuckled and then explained: "The fact that you find books boring probably means that you just haven't found the right one yet. A good books sucks you in like a vortex. It won't let you go so quick. Books teleport you into other worlds and let you meet characters so genuine that you won't even need actors because the story starts playing before your mind's eye. Furthermore, movies entertain you for ninety minutes, but books can last so much longer. Do any of you know this feeling? When I watch a movie, I forget most of it after a while. But there are books I read years ago and they still inspire me."

  
"I heard that so many times, but every book I tried didn't impress me at all."

  
"I recommend that you give books one more chance, Sam. If you need help, don't hesitate to ask me. I know a lot of books and I will help you without judging your choice."

  
"Mh, I'll think about it."

  
"My my, what a polite young man we have here", Robin said with a bold smile. "Sebby, don't get me wrong, but you could learn something about good manners from Elliott."

  
Sebastian mumbled something nobody could understand, causing his mother to sigh. She changed the topic. "Still, although it's maybe none of my business, but why do you move into that shack on the beach? You look like a millionaire, but you will live like a homeless."

  
"I suppose I will have to answer this question many times. Too many impressions irritate me. A home like this will help me to fully focus on writing."

  
"How do you live now? Probably in a mansion?"

  
"I would rather call it the golden cage, but it is a mansion, yes."

  
"Oh, really?", Sam asked, "Sounds nice. Is it as big as the mayor's house?"

  
Elliott couldn't supress a surprised face. "As big as...? It's at least three times bigger."

  
"Are you shitting me?"

  
Sam's brazen way of talking started to annoy Elliott a bit, but he still managed to ignore it. "I mean it. Our attic alone is approximately the same size as Lewis' manor."

  
"But, man, you're so lucky! I would never move out of a house like this!"

  
"He's right!", Abigail agreed, "That's crazy. Why are you throwing this life away?"

  
"Because you obviously dream of a life with money, houses and everything that comes with it, keep one sentence in mind: An empty house is not a home."

  
"I think you're just not grateful enough", Sam contradicted.

  
"Maybe it's the other way round and you are not grateful enough if you envy me. Having a roof over your head and enough food is already more than many people in the world have. We all are able to have a nice life here in Stardew Valley. And that's all I ask for. You can have the biggest house, the fastest car and you can employ the best chef in the world to cook you the most expensive meals – it's worthless if you don't have those things that really matter. It may sound romantic and kitschy, but believe me: Money can buy happiness only to a certain point."

  
"That's okay and I know you are partially right. The choice you made is still drastic. A smaller house would have been just fine, don't you think?", Abigail asked.

  
"Yes, it would have been okay. I never said that I will live like this forever. Some day, when the time is right and I can live off my books, maybe I can build a house around here somewhere. If I am lucky enough, I still have enough time to enjoy for myself in my shack, and if everything goes well, maybe I find myself a lovely wife someday and will live with her then. Who knows?" He resisted the urge to look at Leah. "But now, let's forget all of those gloomy thoughts! Until I have to go, I would like to have some fun."

  
"When will you leave tomorrow?", Robin wanted to know.

  
"I'll start at 6:00 A.M. in the morning, so I'll arrive in the afternoon. I don't need any help, if that is what you're aiming for. I only have one bag in my room, not like I need anyone to carry my things. As discussed, if there are any problems, I will call Leah or the mayor, although nothing should happen to me this time. At least I won't make the same mistakes again..."

 

 

It was still almost dark outside when Elliott left the saloon the next morning. The first sunbeams crawled over the horizon in the east, and a peaceful silence blanketed Pelican Town. After the cold night, the ground made crunching sounds under Elliott's feet as he went towards the bus stop. The air he breathed out formed little clouds in the frigid air.  
Despite the ruthless cold, he felt happy somehow, because he enjoyed the scenery and the beauty of the moment.

  
There it was, the old grey van, standing exactly where Elliott had left it. Was it only yesterday? It felt different, like Elliott spent more time in Stardew Valley already.

  
_Soon I'll be back, he thought_ , and smiled.

  
The locks clicked as Elliott turned the key. He carelessly threw his bag into the load room, closed the rear door again and just wanted to get into the car, when he heard a familiar voice calling out for him.

  
"Elliott! Wait for me!"  
It made him shiver, not because of the cold.  
It was Leah.

  
The sunbeams became sunlight when he turned around. It changed her plain silhouette into a gleaming vision of a better future.

  
"Good morning, dear", Elliott greeted with a timid smile. "Did you come just to say goodbye? I'm honored, but you don't have to endure the cold just for me. ...Wait, why do you have a suitcase with you?"

  
"Let me come with you...please."

  
"Leah...?" His eyes widened. "Why would you do this?"

  
"I want to get to know you. I want to see what your life was like before you came here. ...And I'd just like to spend some time with you."

  
"Oh, how endearing. If that is the case, I would be happy to take you with me."

  
When Leah looked into his face, embellished with his gorgeous smile and touched by golden light, she finally realized what she truly felt for him.

  
"Would you please give me your suitcase? I will store it in the load room for you. In the meantime, you may go inside and wait for me", Elliott proposed.

  
"Alright. ...Thank you so much."

  
"Don't mention it. I should be thanking you."

  
He climbed in through the rear door and carefully placed Leah's suitcase next to his own bag. On his way to the driver's cab, he took a blanket with him to protect his love from the cold.

  
She already sat on the passenger seat when he crawled in.

  
"Here, until the heating works, I've got a blanket for you", Elliott said.

  
"Oh, how nice." Leah wrapped herself in. "Ah, that's good. Seems like we are going to have an early winter."

  
"Probably", Elliott mumbled and took his place behind the steering wheel.

  
"And there's something I also want to say...happy birthday, Elliott. I hope that all of your dreams will come true, and I wish that a successful year is lying ahead."

  
"Many thanks, Leah." Both of them gave each other a meaningful smile, until Elliott took his eyes off of her and started the engine. It came to life slower than usual.

  
For a short moment, he stopped smiling. "I'm a bit scared, to be honest." Then, he managed to regain the mood. "But with you at my side, I know that everything is going to be okay."

  
Elliott turned the car in the bus stop and together, they drove towards a bright day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! And finally with a long chapter.  
> I wish you a happy new year ~ and, thank you for over 500 hits.
> 
> ________________________
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Especially the last part was heartwarming to me when I wrote it :3  
> And I can totally see Elliott with corpse paint :D
> 
> ________________________
> 
> The most inspriring song for this chapter was "Bogatyri" by We lost the Sea.


	19. He

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( ◉ ͜ʖ ◉ )

"It is indeed very brave of you to join me."

  
Elliott and Leah had been on the highway for three hours. Until then, they didn't talk much because Leah was still tired. Now she was wide awake and they started chatting.

  
He added: "You don't know what awaits you."

  
"Even if so, it doesn't matter. It can't be that bad and we won't stay long either. What is your exact plan?"

  
"We will stay at home today. Tomorrow in the morning, I will look for a forwarding agency that will transport my stuff. Afterwards, I must quit my job. Oh boy, I don't want to think about it. And somewhen inbetween, I must tell my parents that I will cut all ties."

  
Leah nodded: "That's indeed drastic. There is no turning back now, Elliott. Whatever happens, you will have to live with the consequences."

  
"No turning back", he quietly repeated. "You know, I thought about quitting all of this. Pretending that nothing happened and I call Lewis and I tell him that I'm not interested anymore. I thought about going back home and staying there. But I won't, because I know why I do this and I am absolutely sure that it's the right decision and I do it the right way."

  
"The right way? What other way could there be?", Leah wondered.

  
"I could choose an even more drastic way: Pretending to have an accident and go missing forever. That would be sick, I would never do it. I am much too honest to fake my own death. What I do is bad enough – no need to make it ten times worse by being dishonest."

  
"But if you consider your plan bad, why did you choose to do this?"

  
Elliott explained: "Probably nobody will understand this, but just because I will leave my parents, it doesn't mean I don't suffer. It hurts me as much as it will hurt them. I am aware that I will do something extreme. It isn't easy for me either. On the other hand, I hope that some distance will us allow us to have a normal relationship some day. I never said that I will never visit them again." Then he yawned, and sighed afterwards. "Phew, I'm exhausted. Let's have a break."

  
Leah proposed: "I can drive while you rest."

  
"I did not know you have a driving license."

  
"But of course. My dad says I'm quite a good driver."

  
"Alright, I trust you. We have to exit the highway in Springcross, but we still have plenty of time until we are there. It's enough if you take the wheel for half an hour. There is an exit in two kilometres, we can switch there."

  
"Okay."

  
Out of curiosity, Elliott asked: "So...you're getting along with him quite well?"

  
"With my dad? Yes, totally. My parents are very kind people. They would love you. Every now and then, they visit me, or I take the bus to see them. If you like, I introduce you next time." Because Elliott showed no reaction, Leah added after a few seconds: "If it doesn't hurt too much for you, I mean...because your parents are...ahem."

  
"Yes, I'd love to meet them. Sorry, I was just a bit lost in my thoughts." He smiled without taking his eyes off the road.

  
He left the highway and parked the van at a pull-in. While they were there, they took their time for short break.

  
"I'll just give my parents a quick call so they know I won't come alone", Elliott told as he sat next to Leah on the edge of the trunk.

  
"Sounds good. At least they can't say you didn't warn them."

  
"That's exactly my intention." Elliott dialed their number and the phone was picked up quite fast.

  
"Sterling speaking. Elliott, is that you?"

  
"Yes, it's me. Hello."

  
"Hi", his mother answered, "Are you on your way?"

  
"I am, and I will arrive on time, somewhen in the afternoon, as discussed. The main reason I call you is the following...there is somebody I would like to introduce you to. She is with me."

  
"She? You mean...a friend? Or...your girlfriend, maybe?!"

  
The answer hurt Elliott, but he was prepared. "We are friends. Her name is Leah. You know, I met her on my way and we get along quite well. She was interested in where I come from, so she joined me. Would you please ask one of the housemaids, whoever is on duty today, to prepare a room for our guest? Leah will stay overnight."

  
Sofia said: "Sure. And while you're on the phone, here's a message from dad: He wants me to tell you that you have to park the car in front of the garage."

  
"Why not inside?"

  
"We won't tell you. Just don't open the garage, you'll see later."

  
"Oh my, that doesn't sound good."

  
"But it is good! Now don't be so nosy and just wait! Is there anything else you want to prepare me for?"

  
Leah could obviously hear what Sofia said because her ear was right next to the phone. She gravely stared into Elliott's eyes and pointed at his belly.

  
"It's better you tell her", she whispered. "It's her right as a mother to know how you are doing."

  
In him grew the wish to discuss with Leah, because her sentence was not the best to say to somebody who was about to abandon his home. On the other hand, as long as they not knew what Elliot was about to do, she was probably partially right.

  
"Elliott?", his mother asked. "Are you there?"

  
He cleared his throat and stammered: "Mother, I'm here, but I'll be telling you when I'm home, okay?"

  
"But you are okay, right? You're not in pain? You're not hungry?"

  
"No, trust me. Leah and me feel great. We are just having a short break, but we will drive on now. After all, we want to make it in time."

  
Sofia said: "Good, be careful out there and don't dawdle! See you later!"

  
"Goodbye."

  
After Elliott hung up, Leah shook her head. "You should have told her."

  
"Why? I'm not in danger anymore. She would have been upset because I didn't call earlier. There's enough time for that later when we arrived."

  
"Are you kidding me? Elliott, that's quite harsh, don't you think? She would have been worried for sure. I mean, she's your mother!"

  
"You will get to know her. Oh boy, this is going to be interesting."

  
"Bet on it." Leah stretched her arms. "Shall we?"

  
"Ready when you are", Elliott answered, "My break will last a bit longer."

  
Both of them got into the car again, this time with Leah behind the steering wheel and Elliott next to her.

  
"I'm getting a feeling that it's really complicated between you and your relatives", Leah mumbled while she started the engine.

  
"If it wasn't, I would never consider going my way like this."

  
"And what is your dad like?"

  
"My dad? I wonder if he even took a day off when he heard that I will come home for my birthday."

  
Leah pondered: "If he isn't, maybe his boss didn't allow him. It was only yesterday when you told them, that's a bit short to take a day off, don't you think?"

  
"He takes his days off whenever he wants", Elliott explained, "It's up to him to organize his work time. But possibly he's still in the office and will come home in the evening. It depends."

  
"He really likes his work, doesn't he?"

  
"Let me explain it like that: rumors say that there's a photograph of his former chairman in his purse, the man who once hired my father when he was my age, because he owes him so much."

  
"Wow, working for the same company over so many years would make everyone proud, I suppose."

  
"If I can say something good about my father, it's the fact that he never forgot where he came from. My grandparents were also privileged, but not nearly as rich as we are now. We all know that he was incredibly lucky. He initially wanted to be a lawyer and took this part-time job as a waiter to finance his study. His bosses' business was not going very well, so my father and one of his coworkers had some ideas to make coffee a trend. They soon opened branches and became pioneers of system catering. It's all about being at the right place at the right time."

  
"But won't you miss your standard of living in the slightest?", Leah wondered.

  
"I won't, because I never asked for it. Also, I never took it for granted."

  
"Ah." That was all Leah answered because she focused on driving. It was a while ago when she drove a car for the last time, but she got used to it very quick again.

  
After a while, she did not know how long exactly, she said: "But theres still something I'd like to know. ...Elliott?"

  
There was no answer from him. A short glimpse revealed why: His head rested at the window and his eyes were closed. With the blanket wrapped tightly around him, Elliott had a nap.

 

 

The first thing he could feel was a warm breath in his face.  
Elliott opened his eyes slowly, blinked a few times, but then he was wide awake immediatly.

  
Leah sat on his lap with one hand resting on his shoulder and the other around his neck.

  
"Ah, you're up", she purred, and smiled.

  
"Leah...what in the world do you think you're doing?", he stammered nervously.

  
"Don't you pretend you don't like what you see."

  
Elliott answered: "I didn't say that, but don't you think that's a bit hasty?"

  
"No, actually I don't." She moved up even closer until not even a sheet of paper could have fit between their bodies. When she gently rubbed her hip against Elliott's, she made him hiss. "Don't be so shy", Leah whispered into his ear, sending tingling shivers down his spine. "Just enjoy."

  
Without letting him contradict, she lowered her head onto his neck and kissed it gently, keeping the perfect balance of tenderness and vivacity. Finally, Leah noticed that Elliott relaxed under her grasp.  
"My dearest love", he murmured. "Please do me the favor and kiss me once more...but this time..." His fingers stroking her chin was everything Leah needed to know. Both of them closed their eyes as they finally kissed each other's lips. Elliott was in heaven. Until then, he was not sure if Leah would share his feelings after such a short time.

  
All of a sudden, the car drove over a bump, making Elliott's head bounce against the roof unintentionally. He was completely confused because it was not supposed to drive without someone on the driver's seat.  
But Leah sat there as if nothing happened.

  
"Whoops, sorry! The road definitely needs a renewal around here. I didn't want to wake you!", she apologized.

  
"You mean...I was sleeping?"

  
"Yes, you were." She nodded. "But not very long. You were just napping."

  
"Leah, please stop the car."

  
"Why? We just had a break!"

  
Elliott sternly stared at her and repeated: "I mean it."

  
"Okay, okay. Luckily, there's another pull-in over there." They arrived at the parking lot quickly, but it was enough time for Elliott to become nervous. He hid his slightly shaking hands under the blanket and sighed.  
A few moments of awkward silence passed, until Elliott explained: "There is something I want to tell you."

  
With a worried expression on her face, Leah answered: "I'm listening."

  
When she looked into his eyes, he added: "I know that we just met two days ago. What I say now may seem a bit hasty. But please believe me when I say that I'm stunned by your captivating beauty and of course by your personality. When I see you, it's like a sunrise in my mind. You actually believe in me, and furthermore you turned out to be the inspiration I was looking for. Leah...I want to be with you every day from now on. There are feelings for you growing inside of me. Romantic feelings, more precisely."

  
"Ohhh", Leah made and remained silent afterwards while she was looking for more words. She tried to hide her blushed cheeks behind her hands. Surprisingly, she was not smiling. "Elliott, that's nice to hear, because I...started to feel the same about you..."

  
"How wonderful, my dear. I am so happy."

  
"But..."

  
Elliott's smile abated. "You are hesitating? Which worries bother you?"

  
Leah looked away as if the pedals became totally interesting all of a sudden. Still, her hand on the seat crawled towards her friend. "If you take my hand now, maybe it works this time. Maybe you will see."

  
"Well, it should. This time, I'm at my senses completely." Without further dawdling, Elliott gently took her hand into his.

  
And there it was – the reason why Leah could not completely fall in love with him. As always, Elliott couldn't see pictures, but he could sense a person that was close to Leah. Too close. A man.

  
"Leah...! I did not know you were taken..."

  
The sad look on her face hurt him even more than the fact that she rejected him. "I'm not taken."

  
"But the connection I sensed was so strong and deep. If he is not your boyfriend, you undeniably have feelings for him", Elliott objected.

  
"I have. It's...Kel! My ex...I'm not over him yet. Although I know that it's better that we parted, it takes time to forget him. I am so utterly sorry! Elliott...you don't deserve this. You are pure and kind-hearted, classy and polite...there are not enough words to properly describe what a wonderful person you are. But if I tried to love you, neither of us would be happy."

  
Numbness spread in him and it made him feel dazed. Then he realized what he just expected from a girl he met only two days ago."No, I should be sorry", Elliott murmured. "You are the one who doesn't deserve this. How childish of me to ask for love after this short amount of time. I should never have considered this."

  
"Let's not talk about anyone's fault or possible mistakes", Leah said quietly. "At least both of us now know about each other's feelings. If you have a crush on me after two days, that's okay."

  
"I am just a man, and we have feelings, although some pieces of literature pretend that it wasn't the case. I suggest that we switch once again...I am restless now anyway."

  
"Oh...okay. Elliott, I hope that you forgive me..."

  
He could not help it and started smiling, looking somehow abashed. "This is what I love about you. Leah, listen. Please don't feel guilty. I'm happy because you were honest. As you already said, it would have been awful if you just pretended to have the right feelings for me. We will just carry on. I will not pester you with my love."

  
"You are so incredibly brave."

  
"I would not call it bravery. My optimism has brought me that far. I've had worse pain in my life, and I know that I can overcome every dread."

  
Elliott got off the van and took the moment until Leah did the same to look up into the cloudy sky.

  
His heart hurt terribly, but bigger problems were looming nearer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (guitar starts playing in the background)  
> Hello darkness my old friend  
> I've come to talk with you again.


	20. Nevermore

Self-pity is a bad traveling companion.

  
Elliott learned that the hard way. It made him feel unsettled and morose. Correspondingly, an awkward silence seperated him and Leah for the rest of the way.

  
Somewhen inbetween, Leah had said to him: "I hope you aren't mad at me", and Elliott had answered:  
"I am mad at myself, so don't worry. I just need time to let that sink in."

  
And once again, the silence built up like a wall.

  
Minutes became hours and the uniformity of dozens of kilometres somewhen turned into familiar surroundings.

  
"Are we there yet?", Leah inquired.

  
"Almost", Elliott stated, "The Springcross district is right next to the one I used to live in. I mean, where I live."

  
"It looks quite nice around here."

  
"If terraced houses look good to you, you'll be amazed. With every metre we drive from here on, the houses become bigger and more splendid. Our district is full of mansions of any size for every need. From the widow who wants to enjoy the rest of her life in a nice new home, to the two or three multimillionaires we have in our neighborhood – famous actors, but I'd prefer to not tell you their names – all kinds of more or less privileged people live around here. It's like a completely normal town, only that everything materialistic seems to be much more important than empathy and understanding. It seems peaceful, but almost everyone is talking behind each others' backs. Oh, do you see that dark grey house in gothic style over there on that hill? That's where we are heading."

  
Leah whistled out of astonishment. "Wow, for three persons that's indeed comfortable."

  
"If my parents knew I would be their only child, they would never have bought it. They planned more because they married when they were young, relatively. Shortly after I was born, my father was promoted and started travelling around, promoting, selling and opening new coffee shops, first all over the country, years later across the entire continent, now it's the world. My mother was overwhelmed and permanently exhausted, especially because I didn't have nannies in the first years of my life. Time passed, dad was still around only on weekends and possibly they had no time or power to have more children. They told me that they planned to have another child when I was eight or nine years old. But it was too late, apparently." Elliott shook his head. "Please excuse me, I chatter too much. I don't know why, but I felt the need to...just talk to somebody."

  
"No, don't be sorry. Talk to me as much as you'd like. ...It sounds very sad."

  
"I don't know, probably. The older I became, the more often I witnessed arguments between my mom and my dad when they thought I was already asleep although I was still writing stories. I could never get what it was about because I only heard them through the ceiling, but I suppose it was often about this topic. When I asked them the next day, everything was _okay_. Nothing happened. We were the perfect family, as always."

  
"Maybe they wanted to be strong...for you."

  
"I guess so. And I understand, at least for the time I was too young to comprehend what was going on. But I am grown up now. There's no reason to still lie about it. Sometimes, I wonder if they have bigger secrets, something awful, something...atrocious...that I mustn't know, no matter the cost..."

  
"Do you really think so?", Leah wondered.

  
"Not seriously. My life is not a thriller book." Elliott stopped at the gate in front of the house, opened the window and entered a number into the keypad. The gate opened silently.

  
"Okay, I was told to park in front of the house. There's something in the garage I shouldn't see", he said to Leah while he pulled the key.

  
"Who knows?", she responded, "Maybe a birthday present?"

  
Her answer caused Elliott to laugh loudly. "A present so big that it mustbe stored in the garage? Like, a **car** or something? Ha, that's ridiculous. Sorry for the laugh, but...that was cute. Wait for me at the door if you would be so kind, I will just get your suitcase out of the loading room."

  
Leah mumbled something he couldn't understand.

  
They stepped into the small anteroom where they hung their jackets and took off their shoes.

  
"Mmmh, it smells wonderful", Leah mumbled.

  
"I guess our housemaids were diligent as always. Let's go and say hi, I'll bring your suitcase into your room afterwards. It doesn't bother anyone..." Elliott opened the door.  
"...here. Oh my god."

  
"Happy birthday!", a whole crowd of people called out.

  
Almost his whole family was sitting around the dining table, but nobody told him they were going to be there.

  
First, he spotted his grandparents, but there were many more. Aunts, uncles, cousins, his parents somewhere inbetween. Even Corneel Vestergard and his husband sat at the table although they weren't related to the family.

  
Leah smiled at all of them. "Hello everyone", she greeted. A couple stepped towards her: a tall handsome man with black hair, completely dressed in black also, and a woman, most likely his wife, with hair so blond that it was almost white. "And you are probably Leah?", she asked, and her high heels clickered on the tiles. A warm smile graced her fiery red lips.

  
"Yes!" She extended her hand. "I am Leah Fyldale. Thanks for having me."

  
"Don't mention it", the man responded. His voice was as deep as the sound of approaching thunder, making him seem cruel somehow although his smile seemed to be honest. "My name is David Sterling. This is Sofia, my wife. We are Elliott's parents."

  
"Now that you say Elliott", Sofia answered and snapped her fingers because Elliott was frozen since the moment he saw his relatives.

  
"Give him a moment", David contradicted. "It was probably a bit bold of us, inviting so many people as a surprise."

  
In this moment, he started moving. Anger made him clench his fists. "Okay, before we start here. I have no problem with your surprise. But who..." Elliott stared at a certain girl between his grandmother and his uncle Logan. He accented every word when he said: "Who of you invited Megan. My ex. Although I told you I will never start a relationship with her again and although I told you I would bring Leah with me."

  
Sofia shook her head. "Megan is a nice girl and wanted to celebrate with us. You said that Leah is not your girlfriend."

  
"And if Leah was the governor of the Ferngill Republic – it doesn't even matter who she is. Megan, you heard me. Would you please do me the favor and leave?"

  
"Make me", the girl with the brown curls growled.

  
"Childish as always? Alright. Sorry for the interruption, but it's not my fault you invited her. Greetings, everyone."

  
"I didn't know Megan was invited until I came home, to be honest", David said and pat Elliott on the back. "Happy birthday, my son! We're glad you made it home."

  
"Thanks." Before his mother could congratulate him, her own mother, Elliott's grandmother Kristina hurtled towards him, a bit clumsy because walking was not so easy for her anymore.

  
"Oh, my sweet little _tous_!", she called out with her heavy accent.

  
" _Chrouchatt_ , it's good to see you, but I would prefer not to be hugged today..."

  
She laid her hands onto his cheeks. "Happy birthday. I spent the whole morning in the kitchen. Why don't you allow me to hug you?"

  
Elliott cleared his throat. "This goes for everyone. I've got a scratch under my shirt and it itches when something touches it. I know you want to do me something good, but it feels unpleasant, so I hope shaking hands is enough today."

  
"It can't be so bad if it's only a scratch", David wondered.

  
"Let me be honest: It's...a bit bigger than just a scratch and it was sutured two days ago. I've got into a fight with a horde of shadow brutes the day I started travelling."

  
"Elliott!", his mother screeched, "Why didn't you tell us earlier? We would have done everything to get you out of there!"

  
He explained: "I thought I was going to be okay. That was naive of me, I understood that now. Look, I'm safe and back again, so let's enjoy everything you kindly prepared, don't you think?"

  
His strategy worked perfectly to distract her. She started chattering: "We prepared so much! We have mustard-filled eggs, caviar from Byrol, salads, meat, fish, poultry, everything you like and enough for everyone!"

While she strutted back into the kitchen, she babbled even more although nobody was still listening.

  
"See? I told you", Elliott whispered to Leah.

  
"Amazing", she replied. They went on by greeting everyone except Megan: Sofia's sister Alena and her husband, Liam and Logan Sterling, the younger identical twin brothers of David, together with their wives and children, Elliott's grandfather Valery Beresnev...  
"...And my grandma, Kristina."

  
"Leah", she said and took her hands into her own much smaller hands. "My name is Kristina, but just call me _Granny_. My my, our fur coats would look wonderful on you." She turned her head towards Valery and said something in her mother tongue, making Elliott blush. "You know that I can understand every single word, don't you?", he stammered.

  
Kristina cackled. "Then you know what you've gotta do!"

  
"Excuse me, what did she say?", Leah quietly asked.

  
"I'll tell you as soon as we are alone." Elliott nervously scratched his chin. "If you wondered about the rest: My grandparents sell fur coats in their store."

  
"What did you call eath other?"

  
" _Tous_ means son, but it's meant rather symbolic, not specifically as one's offspring. _Chrouchatt_ means grandmother. Sorry, it's just a habit. I'll try to avoid words you don't know."

  
"No, it's no problem for me", Leah insisted, "I was just curious."

  
Leah and Elliott went on to the last two guests.

  
"Even you, Corneel", Elliott said, "I'm honored. Thank you so much."

  
He laughed heartily. "I have been at your father's side for so long that I am almost a part of the family! Hello, Leah, I'm Corneel Vestergard, nothing more than David's humble assistant manager. And this is Jos. My husband."

  
From across the room, David shouted: "It's going to be twenty-five years we know each other! We're getting old!"

  
"Ay, about time we go golfing for a week or two!", Corneel called back at him and chuckled afterwards. "You've got to excuse us. All men act a bit immature from time to time."

  
"Me? Never!" David joined in in his laugh. "That's why you could never aim higher than just being my assistant!"

  
Elliott lowered his voice and explained to Leah: "Actually, Mr. Vestergard was offered to be a manager himself, but that would have meant he wouldn't work at my father's side anymore. He rejected the offered promotion just to be with his friend."

  
"Awww, that's cute."

  
Sofia once again flounced by and said: "By the way, Panin called me an hour ago, he couldn't make it."

  
"Good", Elliott whispered.

  
"Did you say something?"

  
"No."

  
They heard footsteps on the stairs, and a housemaid came down. She lowered her head to show her respect. It made her even smaller than she was anyway.

  
"Astrid! Hello. Long time no see!", Elliott saluted.

  
"Greetings, Sir. I hope you had a pleasant vacation."

  
"I certainly had."

  
Her dark brown almond-shaped eyes lightened up. "That's good to hear. I wish you all the best for your birthday. May you stay healthy and inspired."

  
"I hope so! Thank you, Astrid", he rejoiced.

  
The housemaid reported: "We imported a box of your favorite chocolates. You will find them on your desk. Furthermore, we got you the tea rose you wished for."

  
"How wonderful. I can't thank you enough."

  
She nodded at Leah. "Welcome, Miss. My name is Astrid and I work for the Sterling family. If you have any needs or wishes, please do not hesitate to talk to me. Your guest room is already prepared."

  
"I'm Leah. Wow, I'm almost a bit overwhelmed – that's like one of those fancy hotels I could never afford, but this is a private household. Incredible!"

  
"I will do everything I can to make your stay as pleasant as possible."

  
"Astrid!", David shouted, "Would you be so kind and bring the luggage into their rooms, please!"

  
"No, leave it", Elliott denied. "I can do that myself. Don't worry, Astrid, we're fine."

  
"I see." She walked away and started to fetch tableware out of the display case in the living-room.

  
Leah made a small jump. "Ohh, but – is that a parrot? May I take a short look at it?"

  
"But of course." Elliott chuckled and took her over to the aviary in the other room.

  
Once more, his father's voice could be heard from the kitchen. "Will you make it to the table in fifteen minutes? You know that I've got big news to tell you!"

  
"Sure, we'll hurry!" He had almost forgotten that his mom announced that on the phone. Speaking quieter to Leah, Elliott explained: "His name is Franklin." After a few days without his bird, Elliott couldn't resist, opened the cage door and let Franklin hop onto his arm. "Hello, my sweet", he gently whispered and snuggled up to the parrot's head. "Are you well? Everything's okay, hm? Will you give me a kiss?"

  
Much to Leah's surprise, Franklin bent his head towards Elliott and poked his lips with his beak, giving a theatrical "MWAH!".

  
"Good boy", Elliott praised him and went on with caressing the bird's head.

  
"Oh my god!", Leah squaled, "This must be the most adorable thing I have seen in my whole entire life. That smooch sound was the cherry on top!"

  
"You're making me blush, haha. It took a lot of training, but Franklin is intelligent and learned a lot from me. Of course it won't work every time I try. He is an animal, after all, not a toy that I can play with if I want to. It is important to always keep that in mind when raising and training pets."

  
As if he wanted to prove how clever he was, Franklin once again randomly recited: "Rose, harsh rose, marred and with stint of petals!"

  
"Was that...from a poem?", Leah wondered.

  
"It is", Elliott admitted, "That's a bit awkward, but Franklin learned the most when I was trying to get more poems into my head."

  
"No, that's not awkward at all! That's pretty awesome!" She gave him the cutest little smile. "Can you show me more?"

  
"If you insist, I'd love to! Here's my favorite. Let's see if he remembers the right phrase." Elliott cleared his throat and recited quietly, so his relatives in the kitchen wouldn't hear them. "Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, by the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore, "Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven, ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore - Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!" - Quoth the raven..."

  
"Don't tell Elliott nevermore."

  
"Wait", Leah mumbled.

  
Going even further, Franklin added, screaming: "I dare you!"

  
She observed Elliott's face turning pale as he stared into the bird's eyes, completely stunned. A few seconds passed until he whispered: "Yoba be with us."

  
Unfortunately, she did not know him well enough already to know that he usually would never even consider taking Yoba's name into his mouth.

  
Elliott put Franklin back into the cage. "Let's take our bags upstairs. Please follow me", he said, still quietly. He lead Leah and showed her her room, right next to his own, and she found it to be comfortable. It was small, but she wasn't used to much space anyhow. A bed, a table and a cabinet, all made of massive oak wood – it was everything she needed. There were even fresh daffodils in a vase on the windowsill.

  
Elliott opened his mouth to say something, closed it again, and sighed. The disturbed look on his face broke Leah's heart a bit.

  
She touched his shoulder and tried to appease: "Don't think about it too much. Probably your parents talked about your birthday gift a lot and said to the housemaids that they mustn't tell you. That's were Franklin must have copied those sentences."

  
"That's impossible", Elliott replied and shook his head. "It takes several weeks for Franklin learning to imitate once sentence. Mostly, he needed months. And, I surely know that my father may seem dangerous, but even he would never threaten somebody if it's about such a trivial topic like a gift." Once again, he sighed and looked even more desperate than before. "But it must have been him. I don't believe that my mother could have said these sentences many times. Why? What is it I must not know? And isn't that exactly what I told you when we were in the car? _Sometimes, I wonder if they have bigger secrets, something awful, something atrocious._ This is exactly what I said!"

  
"Elliott! Calm down. This is what you should do: As soon as the others are gone, ask your parents why they obviously said those sentences over and over again. Maybe it's something completely harmless."

  
"Do you actually believe that yourself?", Elliott wanted to know.

  
"Okay. You know what? No, I don't. Astrid heard it. She was standing two metres behind you when she fetched the plates. And...she flinched. As if she had been threatened before."

  
"Those poor girls...I never noticed anything unusual."

  
"There's nothing you can do right now. Wait until you're alone with either your father or with Astrid. Now that I mention him, we shouldn't let him wait to long."

  
"I'm not ready for this." Elliott strolled over to the window and stared out of it, down on the driveway and the garden.

  
"Use your optimism to see something positive in it", Leah suggested, "You won't see them again. And what about that man named Panin? You were glad he isn't here today."

  
"There are three things you need to know about my uncle Panin", he explained, "The first: He surely had time, but we furiously hate each other. That's why he didn't come over. The second: He is the most arrogant individual under the sun. The third: My father almost broke his nose because Panin called me a disgrace to the family."

  
"But...I thought your father sees you as a disgrace also?"

  
"He does. But he would never say it because it's nobody's business what's going on in our family. They are brothers in law, but also enemies."

  
"Good grief", Leah mumbled, "That's cruel."

  
When Elliott turned back to her again, he had the darkest expression she had ever seen on his face.

  
"Welcome to my life."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quoth the raven: "Eat my shorts."
> 
> __________________________________________
> 
> Used poems: "Sea Rose" by Hilda Doolittle and of course "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe.
> 
> __________________________________________
> 
> The time until Elliott leaves is full of secrets. What is the big news his father has to tell? What does he hide in the garage? And, most importantly, what did he do to the housemaids and why?


	21. Bluff

Suddenly, Leah and Elliott could hear somebody step up the stairs at a gingerly pace.

  
Sofia's voice could be heard next. "Where do you think you're going? I don't think we allowed you to sneak away like that!"

  
"That almost seems like Astrid wanted to come to us", Elliott supposed, "But they won't let her. It's really better if we go downstairs now."

  
The only further delay was when Elliott opened the door to his own room, threw his bag in and closed the door again. Leah couldn't see much over his shoulder, but there were books in a shelf. Many books.  
"So what did your granny say about me?", Leah insisted to know as they went towards the stairs.

  
"She mentioned a cape made of snow fox fur that would look wonderful on your wedding dress", Elliott explained.

  
"It's reprehensible to wear fur anyway."

  
"It is. Still, they want me to be their successor. As if I ever could be a shopkeeper. Or even if, selling the fur of graceful animals is out of the question."

  
As soon as they set one foot into the kitchen, David called them: "Finally! Grab your plates, pick what you like and then sit down!"

  
Picking what she would like was hard for Leah as everything looked wonderful. It was enough food for two football teams and she didn't even recognize every kind of the presented fruits.

  
"That's such a wide range of food!", Leah whispered to Elliott. "Six, seven, ...eight different cheeses? And what kind of fish is that? I have never seen..." She took a quick glance at Elliott's overloaded plate. "...Are you going to eat all of this?"

  
"Why not?", he answered, as if it was completely normal to eat a bowl of soup, three fish fillets, another bowl of peas, carrots and croquettes, two hard-boiled eggs with caviar spread on them, various pieces of cheese and fruit salad. "I'm hungry. I haven't had a good meal all day and it's already afternoon."

  
"Nevermind." She ended up picking a little bit of everything she knew.

  
They took their places between Logan and Alena.

  
"Enjoy your meal", Sofia wished.

  
Elliott lowered his head. "Thank you. So, father, which thrilling news seem to excite you that much?"

  
"Listen closely!" David looked creepy with his wide grin, but only because his son wasn't used to it at all. "I know you won't be able to appreciate it, but I can't care about that, unfortunately."

  
"Just tell him!", his younger brother Liam insisted.

  
"Okay, okay! Imagine...a company so innovative and successful--"

  
"Yours", Elliott replied emotionless.

  
"...What?"

  
"Isn't it?"

  
"Hold on! I wasn't done yet. Imagine a company so innovative and successful that it inspired me and the rest of my management to a new exciting cooperation! I am so proud to announce that Owen Brews will cooperate...with...Joja! Isn't that awesome?"

  
"Ah..." Elliott sighed clearly audible to everyone at the table. "Very."

  
"As expected", his father growled.

  
"Well, what **did** you expect? Joja is a cruel company. They exploit their workers and the environment. However, what does the cooperation exactly look like?"

  
"They will sell our coffee in their marts while we give coupons out in our coffeeshops. We will start in Ferngill only, but if it goes well – and it probably will – the campaign will be expanded to more countries. In four days from now, there will be a big meeting in the Joja headquarters in Fosving. Corneel and I will of course be there as well. And it's going to be superb."

  
"That's nice to hear", Elliott answered.

  
"Isn't it? And if you just say that without meaning it, you should maybe keep in mind that I earn your pocket money out there. You know, those few coins you spend on ink and perfumed shampoo, and that giant rest I never see again because you shove it into your bank account."

  
His son just sat there and stared fiercely at the tablecloth while his thoughts were speeding up behind his eyes. The spoon still rested in his hand, but his body had stopped moving completely.

  
"Did you...?"

  
"Yes, he spaced out", Logan answered his brother's question.

  
"Okay. While we wait for him to come back, how is your life going, Leah? What is your occupation?"

  
It made her slightly nervous that everyone was staring at her now, but Leah stayed cool and answered: "I am an artist. What I mostly do is sculpturing, carving and painting."

  
Next to her, Sofia's sister answered: "Nice! I love art. Our entire house is full of it!"

  
"Which university did you study at?", Logan asked out of curiosity.

  
"I...never studied anywhere", Leah admitted.

  
The smiles on all of their faces faded.

  
A crowd of people frowning at her was not was Leah had expected when she joined Elliott on his journey.

  
"I should have known from the start. It would have been too good to be true", David whispered and Sofia rammed her elbow into his ribcage in the consequence.

  
Leah finally started to understand. They started estimating her value.

  
"Am I the only one besides Elliott?", she wondered. "What do all of you do for a living?"

  
"Me and Logan are lawyers", Liam stated.

  
"Exactly what I wanted to be when I was my son's age", David chimed in, "But I ended as a manager for the most successful coffee company in the world."

  
"I was a general in the Byrolian army", Valery claimed, "Until I retired and started working together with my wife in her fur store."

  
Alena said: "I work as a dermatologist, my husband here is a chemist."

  
"I'm going to be a music teacher", Megan bragged. "I'm clearly the better choice for Elliott."

  
After a few more answers and generously ignoring what Megan said, Leah understood that she was indeed the only one besides Elliott who didn't have a college degree.

  
"It doesn't matter at all", Elliott said as he obviously snapped out of his daydreams, "We do what we love. That's what I've been telling you for fifteen years."

  
"Now that you say it, how is the progress of your book going?", his aunt Alena wanted to know.

  
"It's going...so-so. I had a severe case of writer's block that I just overcame, but I don't have much time for writing these days. But, thanks for asking. I appreciate it."

  
"And where exactly did the two of you meet?", Logan asked, "We don't know where you spent your vacation, actually!"

  
"We met in Swanmire City. There is this fantastic library and you know that I can never walk past a library without visiting it. It just happened that we got into a conversation when we both reached out for the same book in the exact same moment." Elliott hated lying so much, but it was his only chance. Nobody was allowed to know what happened. He could hear somebody whispering "God, that's schmaltzy".

  
"Is that so", his father growled in his deepest voice.

  
"Yes", Elliott replied with an unimpressed tone.

  
"That means you saw the Gem Sea."

  
"I did. It was magnificent." A wide grin spread on his face. "How much I love the sea! It always feels like coming home. Don't get me wrong, but--"

  
"Oh, no need to explain. I know exactly what you mean."

  
At least Leah showed no suspicious reaction at all, and so Elliott gave no further answer. The less he said, the less he had to lie. Probably it was useless anyway. The look on his father's face told him everything he needed to know:  
He knew exactly that Elliott was lying.

  
Elliott took his time and tried to internalize the face of the man he had feared for the longest time.

  
Those times were over now. Even if David spoke out that Elliott never was in Swanmire City, nobody would torture him to find out where he actually spent his time. Nobody would stop Elliott from leaving.  
David's eyebrows crimped in that special way, as if it wrote "skepticism" right onto his forehead. He looked so different from his brothers. Sofia's family was one of those in which everyone looked a bit similar. She shared the same pale skin, blue eyes and platinum blonde hair as her siblings Alena and Panin, they inherited it from their mother Kristina, although her hair had turned white a while ago. It was completely different amongst David's relatives. He himself once had the same hazelnut brown hair as his son, at least until he started to turn grey also and dyed it black. His brothers had curly hair which was a lot darker, and they were built slimmer, almost raw-boned. Liam's and Logan's expressions made them look like younger versions of their own father every now and then, but David became the most reputable family member without looking like one of them in the slightest.

  
"And by the way, you remember Kenny, right?", he asked.

  
"Who?", Elliott wondered.

  
"Kenny Declerc. ...Don't tell me you don't remember who was in your class."

  
"Ah...wasn't he that beefy roughneck?"

  
"He's not beefy, he's well built!", Megan disrupted them.

  
"Megan." Elliott laid down his fork and knife, folded his hands and explained in his calmest tone: "There are two things you should note now. The first is: I don't care in the slightest. The second is: Don't interrupt us while we are talking."

  
"Why are you even mad at me?", she asked.

  
"Oh, yes, why though? Maybe because you pretended that you love me and then cheated on me with some random guy? Geez! So, anyway, dad. What was it you wanted to tell me about him?"

  
"Can't you just try to get along with each other?", David grumbled and then explained: "About Kenny. I met him at the golf course on Wednesday. We got into a conversation and found out that you were in the same class. Unfortunately, he lost his job, but I offered him an internship. Nothing long, only two weeks, but who knows? Maybe he'll take the spot I reserved for you?"

  
"We'd better stop this right here, or else it will be hard for me to control myself. I never asked you to reserve this job for me. Have fun with Kenny."

  
"Elliott", his grandfather Valery answered, "You seem to be nervous somehow. Is something wrong?"

  
In fact, everything was wrong. Elliott could feel the tension grow with every minute. He was annoyed and he couldn't even name a reason. It was a bit of everything, probably. The bigger question was how he would react – he could throw everything away right on the spot or he could remain calm.

  
Would it even matter?

  
"I apologize", he then said. "Everything is a bit too much at the moment. The last week was almost too exciting, that's why I seem aflutter."

  
Another bluff, but Elliott couldn't help it. His father shook his head. "Don't overdo it. I didn't mean to tease you. I only wanted to show you what can happen if you just seize the chance. If you are so nervous already now, do you even want your birthday present? It will probably swipe you off your shoes though!"

  
"You don't have to give me anything. I've got everything I need." At least he would have it soon.

  
"Don't you think I'll return it. You can pretend that you're undemanding and modest all you want..." David tapped the table with his fingernail, "I want to be doomed if you don't like what I got you."

 

 

"Alright now, where are we heading?"

  
"Almost there!", David promised.

  
"We're in the garage", Leah whispered into Elliott's ear from behind. She covered his eyes with her hands.

  
"I can't pinpoint why, but I feel humiliated somehow", Elliott whispered back at her. The whole family was following behind them. The heels of his mother and her sister made loud clickering noises in the hall, but that was almost everything he could hear.

  
Elliott started to feel a bit uneasy, because he suspected problems ahead. He had joked about it when he and Leah had arrived.

  
Not anymore.

  
"Okay, stop!", his father called out and everyone stopped moving. "Open your eyes and enjoy. It's all yours."

  
When Leah took her hands off his face, Elliott still took a few seconds until he actually dared to take a look. When he finally did, the magnificent sight filled his heart with the bittersweetest pain.

  
A brand-new elegant black sedan, polished so conscientiously that Elliott could almost smell the gigantic amount of wax on the car's body.

  
While he himself stayed completely silent, he could her the "oooohs" and "aaaaahs" behind him. Obviously nobody knew about this present.

  
"Isn't that just totally awesome?!", David rejoiced and pointed at it. "It has everything! Five doors, a backup camera, a gigantic sound system, ..."

  
He talked on and on, and Elliott died a bit inside.

  
It was beautiful, but he would never even drive one metre with it. There was no room for it at the beach, and even if, Elliott would never have taken it with him. It was better if his dad just sold it again, so he would at least get a part of the money back.

  
Everyone stared at him. Elliott realized that it would be clever to say something.

  
"I am very grateful. This is more than I would ever wish for."

  
"See? I told you! Your mother and I thought, if you seriously start going to university some day, you need a car to get there. You shouldn't look all that humble next to your fellow students and I know that you love everything aesthetic. What could have been better than this wonderful car?"

  
_Pretty much everything._

  
Finally being at peace, for example, would have been nice. Or being loved by the girl that Elliott had feelings for. Looking at the sea sounded great right now. Sitting at the piano wasn't a bad idea either.

  
A garish pain flared up in Elliott's head. His view became blurry for the blink of an eye when he looked down to the ground, where the key was lying now.

  
"Elliott, what the hell?", Sofia called out, "I said **catch**! You saw me!"

  
"You...did?"

  
"Where are you right now?", David added, "We thought you are happy about it, but your mind is somewhere else. Like always."

  
"I am happy!", Elliott insisted and picked up the key.

  
"Then hop in and try it!"

  
"Not now, if you permit. I'm stuffed and exhausted. There will be enough time tomorrow. Furthermore, I wouldn't want to leave my guests alone, don't you think?"

  
"No, actually I don't", David answered quietly. "But at least you like it. Maybe you're right. Neither you nor the car will run away."

  
Elliott quivered, just for a moment, and it was exactly what David had speculated on. Something was wrong.

  
Terribly wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "A present so big that it must be stored in the garage? Like, a car or something? Ha, that's ridiculous. Sorry for the laugh, but...that was cute."  
> (quote from chapter 20)
> 
> _______________________
> 
> The song "Lift" by Joel Lindfors could describe what is going on inside of Elliott from time to time. No meme this time, it's an awesome song although it breaks my heart a bit every time I listen to it.


	22. Tension

The satisfaction in Elliott grew more and more when everyone was finally about to leave. He just stood there and watched them while they put on their shoes and jackets.

  
Megan slowly approached him from the side. "Elliott. I know I maybe made a mistake, but I really need to talk to you."

  
"You _maybe_ made a mistake?", he repeated and gave her a disparaging look. "That's an interesting way of saying that you broke my heart and ridiculed me in front of the whole class."

  
"That was two years ago! Okay, listen. What I did was wrong. There, I said it." Megan pouted at him and added: "Look, what I wanted to say is the following: Let's start hanging out again together. You still...mean a lot to me...I'd like to see you more often."

  
"Oh my." A smile unfolded on Elliott's lips. "I didn't expect that. Well, if that is the case, maybe you'd like to pick me up at the library after my shift on Wednesday? I work until 2 P.M., we can go to the cinema if you want..."

  
"Yes!", Megan rejoiced. "I'll be there! I've got to go now, daddy is already waiting for sure! See you on Wednesday!"

  
"I am so looking forward to this day." He watched Megan strolling away, out of the door and into the evening.

  
For a short moment Elliott asked himself if he overdid it, but Megan would not need much time to find out that he was gone. She would get over him – Elliott wasn't even sure which kind of _daddy_ she was talking about.  
He wouldn't even have been surprised if Megan just needed him to get over somebody else.

  
"Wait", Leah whispered next to him, "Did you just...?"

  
"Yes, I couldn't resist. It won't happen again." Elliott spoke to his remaining guests: "It was a big surprise to see you here, but it was a pleasant one. Thank you all for visiting. Have a safe trip home."

  
He said goodbye to every single guest and had his last few small conversations with them, but nothing serious. Nobody was supposed to suspect anything because Elliott wanted them to remember him just like he was.  
_Until next time_ , somebody said.

  
"See you then", Elliott answered, and he waved goodbye and closed the door.

  
His hand remained on the door knob for a few seconds as his new reality came crumbling down on him.

  
Leah sighed. "Okay, and what now?"

  
"You're free to do whatever you'd like. If you want to wait, I'll go upstairs as soon as I'm done here. Just one moment." Now he sighed as well and turned into the room. "Astrid", he called out, "I need you for a second."  
Until then, she had been cleaning the kitchen. She laid down the sponge and approached Elliott. "How can I help?"

  
He quietly answered: "We need to talk. It's urgent. There's something in Leah's room that I would like you to take care of."

  
"Oh, right away."

  
In the moment they wanted to go upstairs, a voice stopped them.

  
"Don't you think there's something you have forgotten?"

  
"I suppose you are talking about the kitchen", Elliott guessed without turning around. "Don't worry, it will only take a minute."

  
"I don't care", David growled, "Astrid will stay here until everything is clean, just so you understand."

  
"You heard it", his son said to the housemaid, "As soon as you're done, please come upstairs and talk to me."

  
"She's done for the day then. And we don't want to ruin her evening with more work, don't you think?"

  
She raised her hands in an appeasing gesture. "I really don't mind, Sir. I'd be happy if I could help."

  
"No, don't bother. How about we compromise? I'll come with you and look at the problem, and then I will handle it", David suggested.

  
"Mr. Sterling, I would really like to--"

  
"I didn't talk to you, Astrid!", he yelled, "My son doesn't need anyone to answer for him! Back into the kitchen with you, or else I'll get angry!"

  
Without further resistance, she marched back into the kitchen. Elliott watched her as she picked up the sponge and furiously continued scrubbing the cupboards.

  
"Why do you talk to our employees like that?", Elliott asked in a suppressed tone.

  
"Not _our_ employees. They are mine, and you know that I treat them perfectly normal as long as they don't speak up to me in such an impertinent way."

  
"Leah, go upstairs and wait for me if you would be so kind."

  
"Are you sure?", Leah whispered back to him, and Elliott nodded. "It's okay", he stated.

  
When she was gone, he proceeded: "I don't believe what you just said. However, I'm getting a feeling that you threaten them."

  
"And why on earth should I do something like that?", David wanted to know.

  
"They know something I mustn't. This is also why you don't allow Astrid to come with me."

  
"You read to many books, once again. Your fantasy is playing pranks on your reality."

  
"Don't you try to dishearten me!", Elliott insisted, "I know that there's something going on. I want you to tell me!"

  
"You know what?" David stepped closer and followed his son up the stairs. He stopped on the last step below Elliott, but his impressive height let him look directly into his eyes without any problem.

  
Elliott stared into his eyes and tried to see something, like if he took his father's hand.  
There was nothing.

  
"I'll say you something", David growled, "I'd rather die than to tell you about it."

  
Out of the affect, Elliott just grabbed his hand, faster than his father could react. Even one impression was good enough for him. It worked, and Elliott could sense something for the blink of an eye.  
It felt strangely familiar at first, as if he had been there before, and then he could smell the salty air. When he started to hear ocean waves, David slapped his son's hand.

  
"What on earth are you doing?!"

  
"If you won't say anything, I try to sense anything in your mind", Elliott hissed and rubbed his hurting hand.

  
"I don't have anything to say."

  
Both of them gnashed their teeth and kept staring in each other's eyes. The impression of the ocean still echoed in Elliott's mind, but he couldn't see any sense in it.

  
The tension grew with every second. Elliott couldn't take it very long. He didn't want to be scared so easily, but he couldn't help it in this moment. Because he knew that there was no chance of getting more information, he turned around and ran up the stairs as quick as he could, across the hallway and into his room.

  
His view dashed through the room for a moment. Elliott wanted to grab the first object in his reach, which was his laptop, unfortunately. Too expensive, so he gripped the second: A pillow. It was perfect to be thrown at the ground.

  
"Damn it!", Elliott shouted and kicked the soft cushion through the entire room with one rather inelegant stroke.

  
When he heard that someone opened his door, he hissed: "Get out of..."

  
"Elliott." Leah glanced him through the open door. "What happened?"

  
"Excuse me. Please come in."

  
Leah stepped into the room and looked around herself. It was smaller than she imagined it to be, but it was nice and tidy. The giant bookshelf opposite of the door was impressive and Leah guessed that there must have been at least eighty books inside. Five more books were stacked on the desk, which was in the most advantageous place. Leah supposed that Elliott sometimes stood up from it and just fell into his bed because it was right next to it.

  
He closed the door behind her. "I am so incredibly angry", he said, but he obviously contained himself. His stance and expression were completely normal.

  
"They are gone", Leah answered.

  
"Excuse me?"

  
"Stop bluffing. Nobody can hear us anymore, so...please be honest with me."

  
"You are right." Suddenly, as if someone switched his face, he became visibly enraged and clenched his fists. "I seriously start to hate him. My father acts like the biggest prick on earth."

  
"You know what? You're right. He did truly despicable things."

  
"And I start hating myself also. Why do I feel so guilty about that car?"

  
"I'm only guessing", Leah pondered, "But I wouldn't be surprised if that was the goal. If you felt guilty, maybe he thought you would do what he wants so you could show that you deserved it. I am truly sorry for such dark thoughts, however, I'm still shocked."

  
"And as if I cared about this guy and his internship. I already forgot his name."

  
"Kenny."

  
"Thanks." Elliott sighed. "Phew. It's better if we calm down now. I can't change anything. It may sound selfish, but I won't stay just to reveal that secret, although it hurts because it obviously has something to do with me."

  
"Just keep in mind that everything will be over soon", Leah reminded him, and he silently nodded. Looking exhausted now, he strolled over to the piano stool and plopped down on it. "Take a seat, please..."

  
She hummed an answer and sat down on his bed. "About Megan...please don't get my question wrong, but why did you make that date with her?"

  
"My two biggest weaknesses are the following: I am vain and unforgiving. I loved Megan with all my heart until I finally noticed that her tongue had been in someone else's throat. She messed around with me too much. I'm not a fan of true revenge, but this won't hurt her and it's something small compared to what she did."

  
"And you haven't found out anything further about what your parents hide from you?", Leah wanted to know.

  
"At least nothing useful", Elliott stated, "I was bold enough to grab my father's hand. My talent could have come in handy, but the only thing I sensed was obviously water."

  
"Just plain water?"

  
"I believe it was the Gem Sea. It is indeed hard to explain, but it felt so familiar. Still, I have no idea what it could mean. I am not even sure whether it had something to do with that topic or not. Like I already told you, my dad avoids open waters, even lakes. He never goes even somewhere near it."

  
"There are endless possibilities", Leah said.

  
"I know. Maybe my parents committed a crime somewhere on the sea or near the coast?" Leah watched as he opened his eyes wide and stared at her in shock. "Maybe I witnessed it and forgot about it? I dream about the sea over and over again. Is my subconsciousness trying to tell me something?"

  
"Don't forget the following: unsuspectingness can be a true blessing."

  
"You're right, but still..." Elliott turned away from her and now faced the piano in front of him. He stared up to the ceiling as if something was hidden there. A few quietly hummed notes later, he raised his hands slowly to entice a mellow tune through the piano.

  
Leah closed her eyes and snuggled up into the notes that surrounded her like a blanket. It looked more like Elliott tenderly fondled the keys than actually playing them, still the instrument rewarded him with its comforting sound.

  
It was a short song and only lasted two minutes, but both Leah and Elliott felt refreshed and happier afterwards.

  
"How wonderful", Leah rejoiced.

  
"Thank you. I simply had to play right now. If you want to stay with me, I shall write my resignation now."

  
"Of course I will stay. That's why I came with you in the first place."

  
"You light up my world, Leah", Elliott stated while he stood up and fetched his fountain pen. "No matter what you feel. I'm lucky to have you." He could see that she was struggling to find an answer, so he added: "It's okay. I don't want to overwhelm you with my feelings, but I talk about emotions a lot. Maybe it would be better if I contained myself."

  
"It's just...having feelings for two men at once is hard, especially when I don't want to have a relationship."

  
"Ah, love, what a fickle thing." Elliott sat down at his desk and pondered: "So many authors tried to fathom it, but was anyone of them ever successful? Its secrets will possibly be inscrutable until the end of time." The paper rustled under his fingers. "While we're talking about secrets: I liked my job at the library."

  
"How is that a secret?", Leah asked.

  
"Everyone supposed I hate it because I only started it so I wouldn't be thrown out of the house. Then I grew fond of it over the months. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn even more about literature and genres I usually don't touch quite often. The only thing I disliked about it was the fact that it distracted me from writing. I could get a lot done in twenty hours."

  
"If you break it down on a day, it's not that much. Or how long do you write on a normal day without distraction?"

  
"Well, that depends. I love sessions of six to eight hours of writing without a longer break, but I can't do this every day. Let's take a normal week without any work. I work out one to two times a week, three times if the weather is really splendid, and play piano every day for half an hour. It's not that easy to say an exact number, but as long as I'm healthy and inspired, I never write less than three hours a day, mostly more. The most I ever made in one session were twelve productive hours. I'm still impressed to the present day."

  
"Twelve hours?", Leah repeated. "Ouch, doesn't that hurt? You had a stiff neck afterwards, I guess?"

  
"My chair is very comfortable, luckily. I started early in the morning because I couldn't sleep anymore and directly sat at my desk. When I left my room on the first time on that day, dinner was ready. The time flew so fast, I didn't even notice."

  
"Promise me you won't do that again! I shrug only by hearing that!"

  
Elliott admitted: "It was my one and only time I overdid it that much. Although it was fun, I don't intend to do it once again. So, let's see... _Dear Miss Lionore, I am writing to inform you that I will be resigning_..."  
While Elliott let the words flow out of his hand, Leah stood up from his bed and took a closer look at his bookshelf. Many of the books were timeless classics that everyone knew, but almost no young people read, as opposed to Elliott. Some of them looked actually antique and valuable. He probably sorted his books by genre. After the classic literature, a collection of poetry books was following. Another of Elliott's preferences was fantasy, as he already stated once before. There was that book Abigail had talked about. Leah took a few books out, one after another, and browsed through them.

  
"Alright, I'm almost done", Elliott stated after a while. "All it still needs is my signature."

  
"Wow, your handwriting is stunning", Leah observed with a glance over his shoulder. The italic typeface was embellished with flourishes and squiggles. He replied: "Well, then maybe you'll enjoy my script. My handwriting isn't that decorated all the time, but still I put effort in it." A sigh could be heard from him, and he straightened his back before he placed his pen on the paper once again.

  
" _Sincerely,_ ...", he murmured. A _B_ , a much bigger _E_ and a slightly smaller _Sterling_ were drawn onto the paper. Elliott's signature alone was an artwork.

  
"It's beautiful."

  
"Thank you. I'm curious on how my boss will take my resignation."

  
"I don't think it matters. You quit your job, if he or she likes it or not is not relevant."

  
"I feel so..." He jumped up and started to wander through the room. "I feel so guilty, once again! Without her help, I would never have found Stardew Valley. Or at least not in the moment when I needed it the most. I owe her a lot!"

  
"You don't owe anything to anyone."

  
Suddenly, he stopped. "Leah, I hate to contradict, but that's not true. I owe my parents a lot, for example. They raised me, after all."

  
"Yes, but at which cost? They decided to conceive you. Nobody asked you if you wanted to be born. So it's up to you to live your life just as you want it."

  
Elliott made a sour face. "He wasn't like this all the time..."

  
"Your dad?", Leah wondered.

  
"Exactly. We got along better when I still was a child. Don't get me wrong, our relationship was still rather distant, especially because we saw each other not very often and because I obviously was a bit hard to handle. Still, I had the feeling that he...loved me like a father should. He changed. He definitely changed. Sometimes I just wish that everything turned out different. I wish that...I turned out different."

  
"No!", she shouted and laid her hands onto his shoulders. "Don't say something like that!", Leah added and stared into Elliott's eyes gravily. "I already told you that you are wonderful. Do you want to be like your father? Egocentric and materialistic? Speaking for myself, I prefer eloquent and thoughtful persons like you."

  
"I probably exaggerated a bit", Elliott admitted.

  
"Come, I'd like to help you to sort your belongings. You could need a bit of distraction."

  
"I have a better idea."

 

 

He found his parents in the living-room, both sitting on the couch, but far away from each other. Sofia rustled the pages of a gossip magazine while David just dozed with his feet on the ottoman.

  
"Hey", Sofia mumbled.

  
"Hey", Elliott answered and stopped when he stood in front of them. "May I have your attention for a moment?"

  
David sat straight up, still without saying anything, while his wife rolled her eyes and closed the magazine.

  
"I wanted to thank you for your generous present."

  
"No problem", David stated. "You are welcome. So...you actually liked it?"

  
Elliott nodded. "I really like it", he answered, but then his expression darkened. "But unfortunately, you gave it to me at the worst timing possible." He laid one hand onto the coffee table, opened it and revealed the key. "I won't take it with me. I'm moving out."

  
"Are you moving in with Leah?", Sofia wanted to know, much to Elliott's confusion. He expected her to be at least a little bit shocked.

  
"No, I'm not", he replied, "I will live alone."

  
"But in her near?"

  
"Who knows?"

  
"What kind of answer is that? You'd better--"

  
David interrupted her: "Let it be. We won't find it out." He growled. "I knew that this would happen, although I don't know how you can afford anything more than five square metres under a bridge."  
"Over the years, I saved enough money to...wait, what did you just say? You knew?"

  
When his father silently nodded, Elliott's world started swaying for the blink of an eye.

  
"How could you know?", he insisted.

  
"You wouldn't guess, but I know you better than you think. You are an absolutely awful liar. Call yourself lucky for never spending much time with your relatives. That's the only reason why nobody besides me noticed. They don't know your mimics and gestures well enough."

  
"Huh?! Wait a minute, I didn't notice either, and I'm his mother?", Sofia contradicted.

  
"Now reckon what that means."

  
Elliott stared at him, still shocked. "Maybe I am, but was that enough for you to know?"

  
"I had a feeling at first. I saw immediatly that you were lying all the way, so I knew that you have something to hide. Your reaction towards your gift indicated something grave, so I tried to get something out of you. _Neither you nor the car will run away_ , I said, and you flinched."

  
"Wow, that is...I mean, I...didn't expect me to know me that well. It won't change anything though. I will leave as soon as somehow possible. And I need some distance. Neither will I tell you where I go, nor do I want any contact for the next time. Don't look for me."

  
"Don't you worry", David replied, "As soon as you left, I won't consider you my son anymore."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I feel like I just don't know you anymore  
> But I've been burned and I've been down so many times  
> We walk in circles  
> The blind leading the blind
> 
> We've been disconnected somehow  
> There's an invisible wall between us now  
> But I've been wrong and I've been down so many times  
> We walk in circles  
> The blind leading the blind
> 
> (Song: "Disconnected" by Keane)
> 
> _____________________________
> 
> Once again, I want to thank every single reader and everyone who gives kudos or even bookmarks! I got three more bookmarks in the last six days, that's awesome!


	23. The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And his anger turned into interest.

_M a n y   y e a r s   a g o . . ._

 

The first snow of the year was going down on Agison City, but he had no time to appreciate it.

  
Cleaning the tables was much more important right now. Equipped with a sponge and a bucket full of soapy water, he dashed through the room and ensured that everything was nice and tidy. The earliest guests of the day, workers from the middle class, would arrive soon.

  
His face reflected in the shiny surfaces. He was undeniably handsome; his moss green eyes and hazelnut hair attracted enough women, but he hadn't found the right one yet.

  
The door opened, and one of his coworkers dashed in with that annoying grin on his face that definitely deserved to be punched.

  
"Good morning!", he sang, and brushed fresh snow off his coat. "Agh, nobody sweeps the snow off the pavements on this time of the day! It's hard to tramp through."

  
"Mr. Vestergard! You're late. Don't you watch the weather forecast?"

  
"Oh, hi, David. No, I was in the university until the evening."

  
"That's Mr. Sterling to you. We're nothing more than coworkers. If you would kindly get going now, there's enough to do until the guests are coming."

  
David didn't like him at all, and although they had been working together for a few weeks now, he wasn't even sure about his name. It was Christopher, if he wasn't mistaken. Just because they were studying at the same university and worked in the same café, that man thought that he was some kind of friend to David. Which he was definitely not.

  
A few minutes later, Christopher Vestergard showed up again, this time in the black shirt and chocolate brown apron that all of the waiters wore. He whistled a funny tune and started mopping the floor.

  
David's fist started itching.

  
"So, what are your plans for the weekend?", his coworker asked.

  
"Excuse me?", David replied. "How is this of your business?"

  
"Aww, you're not much of a morning person, obviously."

  
"I'm just busy. There's no time for lollygagging. Time is money."

  
"Time is money?", Christopher repeated, "You sound like you already sit in your law firm."

  
"And you seem like you don't have the right attitude yet", David mumbled.

  
He answered something that David couldn't understand. Finally, he was done with the tables and dashed off once again to dispose the dirty water. The mornings were always busy. Situated in the near of an industrial park, the café attracted mostly factory workers and shopkeepers who came by before they started their shifts.

  
But until then, Christopher stood at the window.

  
"Oh, look at those wonderful fluffy snowflakes" he hummed.

  
"I swear to Yoba!", David shouted, "If you don't move, the boss will hear about it! Damn it, how many times do I have to tell you?"

  
"Sorry, it was just...so nice to watch."

  
"What do you think you are going to achieve in your life when you're an awful worker already now? What do you even study?"

  
"Ah...it's management and economics."

  
"Pff, great."

  
Their conversation was interrupted when the door opened and a group of five men strolled in, all dressed in black. David knew that they worked as engineers in a nearby factory.

  
"Good morning, gentlemen", David greeted, "Come in, come in. The same as usual for you?"

  
They confirmed his guess and without wasting any more time, he whizzed behind the counter to prepare their coffees. With increasing chagrin he watched how Christopher mirthfully chatted with the guests about the weather, the world, the news and their work.

  
Later in his life, David would often think about this moment.

  
In these particular seconds, he understood that Christopher, whose name was a different one, wasn't as useless and stupid as David thought.

  
He made the customers happy. Happy costumers would come back. The more often they visited, the more money they left.

  
David had always been an efficient worker, but he never saw his guests so joyful.

  
If David slowed down a bit and actually took his time to see the persons behind the wallets, and if Christopher understood that it was also important to speed up a bit, maybe they could have been a good team.

  
And his anger turned into interest.

  
A good team was one of the things that the café needed urgently. Besides the workers who needed a bit of caffeine before a long shift, almost nobody visited. Back then, coffee was only for people who actually worked long and hard, and in most heads it was connected to older men, together with other beverages like beer and rum. Although the café also had cake and cookies in its range, not much of it was sold. The workmen didn't want all that sweet treats at 6:00 A.M. in the morning. Who tried it had a preference for eating bricks anyway, at least in David's opinion. If he was about to decide, the kitchen needed a makeover, because the filling in the cheesecakes was as solid as concrete and the cookies might as well have been frisbees. Every second day, he took some of it home since it was still a pity to throw food away. David's younger brothers Liam and Logan were happy about it, but as a responsible big brother, David only passed some cake to them once a week.

  
Summarized, he knew that he could lose his job if they wouldn't attract any new costumers soon.

  
Not that it mattered. As long as he got his law studies going, he was okay. And as David was a natural talent at understanding complex matters and finding solutions, he indeedly got his studies going. Finding a new job was an even smaller problem in the city. Good men were needed at every corner.

  
Still, there were ideas forming in David's head. He loved himself a good challenge, and maybe he could actually bring the café to new life. If he didn't knew what young costumers wanted, who could?  
For the rest of the morning, he carefully observed his coworker. Christopher's grin was still the most annoying David had seen in his life, still he was more and more impressed by his skill to make people laugh. By the end of their shift, he took the opportunity and approached him.

  
"Christopher?"

  
"Huh?" He turned around while he untied his apron. "What did you just call me?"

  
"Isn't that..." David cleared his throat. "Isn't that your name?"

  
"Umm, no, it isn't. But I'm rather surprised you want to call me by my first name." He laughed heartily and added: "How can you not know my name after five weeks of working together?"

  
"Hey! Don't make me angry again. Now what is your name?"

  
The man whose name wasn't Christopher extended his hand. "I'm Corneel. Hi, it's once again nice to meet you."

  
"Call me David from now on", he answered and shook the offered hand.

  
"So? Was there something you wanted from me?"

  
"Indeed. You asked me about my plans for the weekend. It may come unexpected, but you don't seem so bad."

  
Corneel raised his eyebrows. "Are you implying we could hang around? That would be great! I thought you are too narrow-minded to actually work in a team with us, although I liked you from the beginning. Hey, I'm going golfing on Sunday. You want to join?"

  
"Isn't that a bit cold?"

  
"Not in the slightest, at least if you dress properly! If you wear the same clothes as if you would go for a winter hike, you'll be fine."

  
"Okay then, why not? I never tried it, but if someone shows me how to do it, I'm in!"

  
"Leave it to me! Golfing is the bee's knees, you'll love it! Okay, we'll meet in front of the golf court in Hounden district on sunday at 1:00 P.M. Deal?", Corneel proposed.

  
"Deal", David accepted.

  
"Nice, this is going to be awesome. See you then, have a nice afternoon!"

 

* * *

 

 

On his way home, David pondered if it was really a good idea. On one hand, he wanted to learn something about Corneel and his strategy, if he had one. On the other hand, it was maybe too opportunistic, even for him, because it was his only motivation. Making friends was not of David's interest. He had a few, and they meant a lot to him, but he did not meet Corneel to become his best buddy.

  
At least David thought so back then.

  
The Sterling family lived in a lovely little house at the edge of a forest. In summer, it looked like it belonged into a fairy tale, a bright place full of magic that shone in every color of the rainbow with all kinds of flowers blooming around it. In winter, it was the kind of house one wanted to enter after a cold long day outside to lie on the couch and have a nice hot cup of cocoa in front of the fireplace.

  
He stepped into the cozy house to see that the fireplace was actually lit. The house itself was rather small, which wasn't bad because David's parents were very prudent about keeping everything fine and tidy. Every item had its place and never lied around somewhere else, except the few things that were there always and in every corner:  
Love and joy.

  
Due to the winter holidays, the whole family was at home. Blaine Sterling, father of three boys, was reading a story to his younger sons, identical twins, on the couch. Liam and Logan jumped up as they saw their brother coming in, and gave him a close hug.

  
“Hey, take it easy!”, David called out of his surprise. Two gigantic pairs of brown eyes stared up to him.

  
“Hi, you wanna play with us?”, one of them asked.

  
“Would you please...at least let me put down my bag? And aren't you busy right now? Look, dad is waiting for you. Hi, by the way.”

  
“Hello”, Blaine answered, “Did you manage you to trudge through the snow?”

  
“Yes, I only needed a bit more time than usual. Sorry about that.”

  
His mother Bethan put her head out of the kitchen and looked around the corner. “Sit down, relax! Lunch is almost ready. Your father shot a deer, isn't that wonderful?”

  
“Mmmh, nice. Do you need some help?”

  
“No, don't bother. I only need five more minutes”, she replied, so David took his place at the dining table. The dining-room, living-room and the kitchen weren't separated by any walls and the entire air was filled with the alluring smell of a delightful meal.

  
While everyone was coming over, David explained: “I'll be out for a while on Sunday. A coworker introduces me to golf.”

  
“Can we join you?”, Liam and Logan bawled.

  
“Uhh, no? That's nothing for kids.”

  
“Pleeeaaase!”

  
“Boys, it's enough!”, Blaine scolded them. “Well, that sounds good! You mean real golfing? No minigolf?”

  
“Yes, there's a golf court in Hounden. Do any of you need the kitchen in the afternoon? I want to try something.”

  
Bethan placed a gigantic pot on the table and said: “No, do as you like.” David almost expected his brothers to start babbling once again. Luckily, they remained quiet. Liam and Logan were eleven, still young enough to like everything their older brother did. Whatever David started was the most exciting thing for them, at least for the following five minutes.

  
If they kept on like this, they would start studying law in a few years also.

  
He took his time to look at them closer. Dark fluffy curls surrounded their cute faces. They had always been a bit smaller than most boys of their age. Logan had a little remarkable scar above his right eye that he got from Liam when he pushed him against the corner of a table a few years ago. Their older brother remembered it well, it was on a Sunday. David had been lying in bed with a fever while it happened, and literally the entire house started screaming: Logan cried of pain, Liam yelled at him since they were having an argument, Blaine freaked out because they overdid it although he told them to stop, David wavered downstairs and yelled at them out of the affect and due to his raging headache.

  
Bethan was always the one to calm them all down. She was an impressive woman in every way, especially a hard-working employee, a loving wife and a sacrificial mother. Back then, it was completely unusual that a mother of three children was still working. Although she, a tram conductor, didn't get nearly as much money as Blaine in his profession as a teacher at a vocational college, Bethan was happy in her job. Other people were mostly bewildered about her, still she was proud and saw herself as a pioneer in the field of equal rights. Gigantic black curls adorned Bethan's head like a lion's mane. It fitted her overall sturdy appearance and although she never wanted to admit it, with a height of 1.84 metres, she was even slightly taller than her husband.

  
Blaine appeared leaner and more reserved. It didn't change anything about the fact that he was the man, father and husband and also acted like one. Respect was his maxim. His children and students adored him. He rewarded them if they behaved, unfortunately he was also quite hotheaded as soon as it wasn't the case anymore.

  
The clock kept ticking further. After the family enjoyed a delightful meal, they split up. The twins went sleighing, their father lied down for a short nap and David fetched ingredients in the kitchen while Bethan was doing the dishes.

  
“So, I'm curious. What are you about to try?”, she asked.

  
“It probably sounds stupid. I try to bake a cheesecake and show it to my boss if it's good.”

  
“Ah, you mean because the one you sell is only useful for pulling out teeth.”

  
“That's one way of explaining it”, David answered.

  
“Do you even know how to bake? Which ingredients are there in a cake, hm?”

  
“...Eggs, probably.”

  
His mother laughed loudly. “Ha, I knew! Let mama help you.”

  
“Mother.” She grinned even wider when she saw David blush. “I'm twenty-one.”

  
“I will still be your mama if you're eighty, although you will have to live without me then. No wrong shyness, I'll show you how to do it!”

  
Together they started to mix eggs, flour, sugar and everything else it needed. Bethan explained every step carefully, David took notes of all she said. If he found the perfect cheesecake, he wanted to be capable of recreating it.

  
Somewhen inbetween, she suddenly pondered: “So, this job is serious business for you.”

  
“Time will show. You know, it's a pity about that café. My boss has no idea of what costumers want. He just sells a bit of coffee and a bit of something that resembles cakes, and then he doesn't know why nobody wants it. It would make me proud if I could help. I have so many ideas to revive this dusty place.”

  
“Seeing you so enthusiastic is bittersweet...we never expected that you would do so well. It hurts me to ask you, but are you sure that you will never go back?”

  
A dagger was straightly put into David's heart. Only the thought hurt so bad that he wanted to sit down. The worst thing about it was: Bethan was right.

  
“I won't”, he replied huskily, “I missed my time. They said _come back when the danger is over_. It would have been enough to spend a few months with you. Instead, it's been twelve years now...”

  
“Don't forget: Your biological family misses you as much as we would miss you if you would go.”

  
“I'm a traitor to them. It's better if they think I died. You saved me, and I loved you from our first day on. Never in my life will I go back.”

  
His foster mother shook her head. “What if you are a father yourself one day? Won't you tell your children about it?”

  
“No, I won't. My compatriots are so incredibly cruel, I wouldn't want my children to meet them. They would be loathed for being offsprings of a traitor like me. You are my family, you and nobody else.”  
“I can't deny that I'm somehow happy”, Bethan pondered, “We don't want to lose you. Liam and Logan are so lucky to have you. They would mourn if we told them that you are not actually their brother and joined our family only one year before they were born.”

  
“See? It's good just the way it is. I shall protect them.”

  
“If that is the case, all of your secrets will be locked up in the grave of me and your father.”

  
“Forever? Will you promise?”, David insisted.

  
“Our lips are sealed, my son”, she assured. “But don't forget the following: If you ever have your own family, you need to tell them. You can't protect them forever.” She took a deep breath and repeated: “It's impossible to protect them forever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers, I'd love if you took a look at the following story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/9519989/chapters/21527747  
> It's "Rose & Sunflower 3: A Different Perspective" by Risukage, an insanely talented writer and an appreciated follower of my story from the first chapter on. Her approach on Elliott's past is completely different, but interesting, well-written and I really recommend to read it!
> 
> ______________
> 
> I'm getting a feeling that Corneel and David need their own spin-off, haha. It wouldn't happen so fast, though, but the longer I write them, the more ideas I develop.


	24. The Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliott takes his last steps on his way to Stardew Valley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My new icon is Fire-Emblem-styled young Elliott, (yes I made it myself.)

“Okay, now sign here...”

  
The scratching sound of Elliott's fountain pen could be heard.

  
“And here...and here. Done! Good, we'll be there – tomorrow at 9:00 A.M.”

  
It felt so real that Elliott almost expected to hear the weight hit the ground that just fell off his chest.

  
“It's happening”, he said to Leah with the biggest smile she had ever seen on his face. In those simple surroundings, a small office of the forwarding agency Elliott just hired, he felt cheerful and relieved. All of his worries and dark thoughts were gone for a few moments. This contract sealed his fate by letter. It was official now, irrefutable that his life in Stardew Valley would start the next day already.  
“Congratulations, dear”, Leah answered and smiled back at him. “Shall we go? There's still much to prepare for you.”

  
“You're certainly right. Let's get back to work.”

 

* * *

 

 

Because Leah didn't want to wait in her guest room, she separated from Elliott in a park nearby Viducia's house. Walking under the colorful trees sounded much more alluring to her.  
I tiny bit of tenseness crawled into Elliott's back again when he sat alone in the van. Although he had nothing to fear, his heart started throbbing when the gate was opened right in front of him, and he parked the borrowed car at the house of his almost former boss.

  
He had called her beforehand so she knew he would be coming.

  
When Viducia opened the door, her bright yellow shirt dazzled Elliott's eyes. She combined it with white jeans and pink pumps, higher than his pinkie finger.

  
“Why, hello and welcome back!”, she called out and opened her arms in an inviting gesture. “Please, come in!”

  
“Hello, thanks for having me”, Elliott said and stepped into the hallway.

  
“How is my favorite adventurer?”

  
“Everything's fine.” He was lead into the kitchen. Art was Viducia's greatest passion, but her favorite style was cubism, which Elliott was aware of. It was clearly visible; even the doors of the kitchen furniture had geometrical shapes in white and grey printed all over it. Apart from that, her home was more or less humble, especially small. Most of the art Viducia owned was displayed in her exhibitions.  
“So!” She placed her hands on her hip. “Could you use something else besides my car?”

  
"Unfortunately, no", Elliott stated, "I could use something completely else instead. Stitches, more precisely."

  
"Say what?! Show me!"

  
"What...? Uh, okay." With a bit of hesitation, Elliott lifted his shirt, not higher than needed. The dark filaments gave a sharp contrast to the skin.

  
Viducia raised her eyebrows. "Sheesh, that surely hurt. Was it an animal, a monster or an accident? I'd say, hmmm...a boar's fang could do this, but if you encountered one, you would have died for sure. They don't let go so easily and you always meet them in the pack."

  
"Those were shadow brutes, but also in a pack. I could not count them, but I suppose their number was something about ten."

  
"Ten?", she repeated.

  
"Maybe. I left two of them because I knew I wouldn't make it otherwise."

  
"Oh my. But now you are better, luckily, right? Sit down, we need to talk."

  
The chairs made quietly screeching noises on the kitchen tiles. The writer and the artist sat down opposite of each other. Just when Elliott was about to inhale, Viducia interrupted him before he could even start talking.  
"I have thought about your future."

  
"Is that so?", he answered and was clearly surprised, but he didn't proceed with his own plans. "What did you think of?"

  
"Listen, I know that writing is serious business to you. But you are also passionate about art, furthermore you are good with people and numbers, and most importantly I don't get younger. I will just say what's on my mind: You deserve more stage time than just those twenty hours. That's why I offer you a higher hourly wage, a full-time job and more responsibilities. But!" She tapped the tabletop with her fingernail. "Quid pro quo, Elliott. You can't have it without proper qualification, by which I mean a college degree. I can get you a scholarship, that's no problem at all. Does that sound like something you'd like to achieve? Like I already said, if you'd like to keep on writing, I understand that.”

  
“Ha...” Resignation made Elliott sigh quietly. “What a coincidence. I have thought about my future also.”

  
“Mmh? In which way?”

  
“Miss Lionore. You have always believed in me, and you still do. What you offer me is so generous and kind that it warms my heart. I'd like to thank you for everything you have done for me. Still...” He reached into his pocket and let the letter slide over the table. “It probably seems ungrateful, but I quit immediatly.”

  
Elliott watched her expression change. Viducia's eyebrows sank deeper, as well as her mouth, while she opened the envelope and read the beautifully written lines.

  
With clenched fists, she explained: "You can't just quit whenever you want. There are certain days in the month for that."

  
“This particular fact does not matter that much. If you won't accept my resignation, I am not appearing at work on Wednesday. Consequently, you will have to fire me after a few days.”

  
“Where did you leave your manners?”, she hissed.

  
“I am utterly sorry.” Although he tried to relax his tense muscles, it became worse when he looked down on his shoes. “All of this happened so fast. I found myself a new home, and I will live in a complete different part of the country already tomorrow.”

  
“Besides I don't know how this is even possible, where are you going?”

  
When Elliott raised his head again, Viducia could see the spark in his eyes. Passion and inspiration drew a rakish frown onto his face. It was the same as when he spoke about his book.  
“My destination will not be revealed. Disappearance is what I wish for.”

  
“You can't be serious! Is there someone extorting you or are you acting out of your free will?”

  
“Excuse me?”, Elliott replied, bewildered now. “I have to admit the following: I fall in love quickly, and I fall in love hard. This has always been a matter of fact. Things have been going different this time, though. It felt like blood finally filled my lifeless veins again. My heart was agitated and soothed at the same moment. The new home that I found revealed itself as my fate. It was meant to be.”  
“I had so many plans with you! It's so disappointing that you leave!”

  
“Ah...” He closed his eyes for a moment. “I will stop disappointing everyone who relies on me. My life will become fulfilling and satisfying. It's time to live my own life – not the one that others expect from me.”

  
“There's nothing left to say”, Viducia growled back at him. “I'll take a look at my car and see if you returned everything, then you hit the road. I hope you at least succeed at whatever you plan, so you didn't leave for nothing.”

  
Elliott shook his head. “I'm living my dream. Even if my book fails and I'll be a destitute man afterwards, I did everything I could, and what more could I wish for?”

 

 

 

Golden light blessed Leah's elf-like silhouette.

  
What Elliott would have given for a kiss under those aged oaks, shielding his love from the autumn breeze.

  
"Ah, there you are", she noticed when Elliott approached her. "Did it go well? How did she take it?"

  
"Not very good, unfortunately", he answered, "She thought I'd take my vacation to relax a bit, but that's what everyone thought, after all. Long story short, Miss Lionore offered me a scholarship and a promotion afterwards, because she wanted me to have a better position."

  
Leah was visibly shocked. With eyes wide open, she asked: "Are you sure you want to go? Just hearing this hurts quite bad. What a gigantic opportunity and great generosity she offered you."

  
"Leah, you should know best what it's like to leave it all behind. Everything is prepared; the only thing left to do is to gather my belongings. I feel relaxed and confident, never would I think of quitting anymore. Finally, I am so close to my goal! Wait and see, my dear. Everything will turn out wonderful."

  
While they walked side by side, Leah carefully observed her friend. His hair was tousled by the wind. All that happened in the last days didn't seem to affect him anymore. He seemed calmer than ever.  
"Would you believe me if I claimed you changed in the few days since I met you?", she wondered.

  
"I wouldn't, but I appreciate your opinion anyway." Elliott's smile made her melt. "The circumstances changed, this is it and nothing more."

  
"If you say so."

  
Being left without a car, Leah and Elliott had to make their way back by bus. They had seized the opportunity in the morning to buy a load of boxes. Afterwards, Elliott had planned to cancel his bank account, but the bank didn't have enough cash in stock. Somewhen in his first days in the valley, Elliott would need to take the bus to Zuzu City in order to get it done there.  
At least they gave him enough to pay Robin and the forwarding agency.

  
Naturally, it was odd that somebody suddenly wanted to quit everything he ever owned.

  
Once again, like it had happened occasionally the last days, Elliott felt like he was dreaming. Sometimes a moment felt so fragile that he hesitated in order to find out if he maybe was not awake. His dreams felt extremely real from time to time, which was especially burdensome with his frequent dreams about drowning or perishing in any other way.

  
This was in those moment when Elliott seemed to become completely unaware of his surroundings and did not react to any impression anymore.

  
Later on that day, his thoughts went flying once again. Countless afternoons in bookstores came to life once again in Elliott's mind. He had spent a lot of time picking new books for his collection. Each of them was a precious possession to him. Leaving just one of them behind seemed unbearable. Until it was time to actually sort his books out, Elliott hadn't expected that it would be so hard.

  
"I can't do it", he said quietly.

  
"You can't do what?", Leah wanted to know.

  
With another look at all of his books and the memories that were tied to them, Elliott explained: "I can't just get rid of my books so easily. Probably I should have known from the start. But do I have a choice? My cabin will become very cramped if I take all of my books with me. This shelf is only the tip of the iceberg, you know. The same number of books is upstairs in the attic."

  
"Pack them in, we've got enough boxes. Then ask Gunther if he can store some of your books."

  
"Pardon the question, but who is Gunther?"

  
"Oh, I forgot, you don't know him yet. He's the owner of Pelican Town's library and museum. Although he may seem a bit mysterious, he's genuinely friendly. I'm sure he's willing to help a fellow bookworm."

  
"Bookworm?", Elliott repeated, making Leah chuckle. "Don't take it so seriously", she insisted, "I did not mean to vex you."

  
"Anyway, your idea doesn't seem so bad. Trying it is better than just leaving half of my books here. Not all of my books are for my entertainment. I own several books about history and technology of trains, as well as archeology and other topics I needed to learn about. Research is indispensable when writing a book. Railway, for example, isn't such a boring and dull topic as one might think. In fact, some types of trains actually grew on me. There's an...wait, I'm digressing a bit."

  
"Hehe, it's okay. It's nice to see that sparkle in your eyes that always appears if you're fascinated."

  
"Mhm", Elliott made, blushed and bit his tongue. Whatever he wanted to say to Leah was inappropriate anyway, so he rather stayed with saying nothing at all. Metaphors and poetry about love surrounded his thoughts, and his heart filled with grief.

  
So many words he would never be able to tell Leah.

  
Later at night, when everything was done, Elliott lied in his bed and felt his sadness once again. He knew that Leah's bed stood exactly on the other side of the wall, in the same position as his. All he had to do was to extend his hand.

  
And to magically reach through the wall, of course.

  
Just a touch of her elegant hand, just to stroke her blushed cheek, only a kiss onto her forehead would have been better than staring at her all day, wishing for a wonder.

  
It was after midnight when Elliott finally fell asleep. Another dream woke him in the middle of the night. Again, the ocean called out for him with a mysterious eerie voice and wouldn't let him go as soon as he dived into the floods.

  
His only solace was that the sea wouldn't actually try to kill him once he entered it in reality.

  
Or would it?

  
Willy said merpeople are shy, but if Elliott was lucky or unlucky enough to encounter them one day, who knew how they would react.

  
At 6:00 A.M., he decided to get up. His night was messed up anyway, so he started one of the most important days of his life. Because there was no better way for Elliott to start an important day by writing, he turned on the desk lamp (he wouldn't take it with him because there was no electricity in the cabin) and let his creativity do what it was made for.

  
Leah knocked at the door an hour later. She was excited as well – only two hours were left until the removal men were booked.

  
The two of them wanted to go downstairs in order to have breakfast. Elliott took one last long look into the room where he lived, slept, wrote, planned, grew up. It looked so lifeless now. The boxes were accurately stacked and filled with clothes, bed linen, towels, books, documents and memories. He nicked a photo album out of the attic when nobody was watching, and although Elliott wouldn't look in it for a long time, it was a comforting thought for him to have it with him, although he couldn't even pinpoint why.

  
Strangely, nobody was there on the ground floor. A ghostly silence made the house seem hollow.

  
Leah shrugged for a moment. "Add a bit of dust on the floor and you could record a horror movie here. It's odd how much the atmosphere changes as soon as nobody is here anymore. Somehow it feels so...empty. Although it's such a pretty house. How is this possible?"

  
"It doesn't feel inviting, does it?", Elliott answered.

  
"Not at all...where is everyone?"

  
"That's hard to tell. My mom is probably still asleep, she never gets up before 9:00 A.M. ...Father could possibly be at work. I don't know if he took another day off. If not, we won't see him again."

  
"Oh...that would be bad."

  
"Maybe he wanted to go out of my way, I don't know yet. I wouldn't even be mad. There's nothing left to say, apparently. Furthermore, one of the housemaids should be here at this time of the day, but we are alone, as you can see, which is indeed strange. You said you don't like coffee, so what would you like to drink?"

  
"A cup of peppermint tea would be wonderful", Leah said, so Elliott went on by grinding coffee beans and preparing tea for her. Usually, he couldn't renounce an opulent breakfast, but he knew that those times were over now. One slice of bread with butter and jam had to be enough.

  
His nervosity level rose and rose. Then, everything happened extremely quick. Time passed in the blink of an eye. As if Elliott only took one breath in the meantime, two friendly removal men rang the doorbell. Since Leah and Elliott had been conscientious about the preparation, the biggest task was to get the piano into the truck.

  
Finally, Elliott heard a familiar voice behind him while he watched the men carrying the instrument downstairs.

  
"I suppose this is it."

  
"It is." Elliott turned around. "So you're actually here."

  
"Yes. I'll head over to work after lunch. I can't stay home forever, after all", David replied.

  
"That last line could as well have been my own."

  
Sofia shook her head. "I didn't think you would really pull this through."

  
Elliott pondered: "Well, I didn't think so either. My plan was quite venturesome after all. But I know everything is going right. I need the distance, believe me. And I need time."

  
"How much?"

  
"At least as long as my book is published. I'll see what my life will be like then."

  
"What do you expect?", David wanted to know, "Do you think it will go poof, and suddenly everything is nice? You'll keep experiencing failures, and you'll keep meeting people who don't want your best."

  
"...That's not what I meant, and I'm quite certain that you know."

  
"I'm still not convinced that you could make it."

  
"Listen, I've really had it with all of that underestimation, and--" Before Elliott could finish his sentence, his father added with a fierce glow in his eyes: "I insisted that you start in my company so I could protect you. ...Because you are sensitive; you tend to be lonely and vulnerable. In that way, I could have had an eye on you at every time."

  
Elliott needed a short moment to restrain himself again. With a deep breath, he went on: "You said I am an awful liar, but you have been better in telling untruth once as well. That's at most partially true, and even if: I am twenty years old, no longer do I need to be protected. I'm no kid anymore and I understand if you still need to get used to it, that's fine. Still...you can't protect me forever."

  
The face of Bethan appeared in David's mind. It was exactly what she had said thirty years ago, and he knew that she always had been right already back then.

  
But he also knew that Elliott could break if he found out what had happened before David met the people he called his relatives. Unfortunately, he **would** find out if he headed for the place David expected him to go.  
It could have been so easy just to open his mouth...instead, he clung to the hope that his son maybe went somewhere else, nowhere near the Gem Sea, no matter how improbable it was.

  
"You will regret leaving without a trace. Trust me", David insisted, "It may take a few years, but you will."

  
"If I didn't know it better, I'd say you are speaking out of personal experience?", Elliott hissed.

  
"No." _Yes._ "An idea like that would never come into my mind."

  
"Ahem", Leah made behind Elliott's back, as if she was looking for the courage to raise her voice. "We are...done. Ready when you are."

  
He nodded. "Understood." Looking back at his parents, Elliott looked for his final words. "I said it so many times...I can do this. Wait and see." For one last time, he opened the door to Franklin's cage.

  
"I'll miss you", Elliott whispered to him as quietly as he could.

  
The parrot answered with random lines he had learned over the years: "Good afternoon. Rose, harsh rose, marred and with stint of petals. From the ice they are freed, the stream and brook."

  
"Don't forget what you learned from me, okay?"

  
"Good boy. I dare you."

  
After another kiss on the fluffy head, Elliott replied: "That's what you are: A good boy. Maybe we'll see again some day. If so, I'm looking forward to it."

  
His heart broke a bit when he closed the aviary.

  
"Take good care of him, will you?", he insisted.

  
"Pff, that's what housemaids are for", David dismissed, "But they will do it perfectly. I guarantee it."

  
"Why is nobody of them here, by the way? Wouldn't Talida be in the morning shift today?"

  
"She called in sick. Astrid will be here for the afternoon shift as usual."

  
"Oh...would you thank them in my name, for everything they have done for us? And tell them that I'm sorry. I'd love to bid them farewell, but there's no time."

  
David nodded. "No problem."

  
"Elliott. I will maybe start believing it when you're actually gone, but it feels so unreal", Sofia mumbled.

  
"Just don't forget me, _cathir_."

  
" _Tousan_ , I'm curious about what you will achieve."

  
"Don't be all that cheesy with your mother-son-bawling", David moaned, "You never got along well. Elliott, take care of yourself, but don't think you can crawl back to me if everything goes wrong. Exactly as you said yourself, you're old enough to know what you're doing. You act foolhardy, you are the one who bears the consequences. You're on your own. Good luck."

  
He crimped his eyebrows. Although Elliott knew that well enough, it somehow hurt hearing it once again. "Yes, you're right. Don't try to call me – I'm on my own, as you said. I will contact you if I ever am ready. Maybe in a distant future, we will be able to connect again and start anew. Maybe not. Until we know, I bid you farewell."

  
The more steps he took towards the car, the stranger he felt, as if complete opposites were having arguments inside of his head. Elliott felt happy and sad, light and heavy, dark and bright, right and wrong. With numb hands, he opened the door of the transporter. Leah was already waiting on the rear bench.

  
Before he got in, Elliott took one last look over his shoulder, but strangely he felt nothing at all anymore.

  
"Are you ready?", the carrier behind the steering wheel asked.

  
"I am", Elliott proclaimed without hesitation.

  
"Ahh, I'm happy to finally get home again. It was nice seeing a city, but nothing beats living in Stardew Valley!", Leah called out, stretched her arms and yawned. "Hm, somehow I'm already tired again. The night was a bit too short. What about you?"

  
"No, I'm probably too excited to already be tired again, although I didn't have much sleep either."

  
"Congratulations, by the way. It takes a lot of courage to chase a dream."

  
Elliott's bold smile made Leah blush. "I shall thank you for everything you did for me until this point...and for everything you will do for me in the future."

  
"Whatever you need, friend."

  
They remained quiet for the rest of the way because Leah actually slept in shortly after they departed. Elliott started dreaming also, even if it were only daydreams.

  
He stared out of the window and dreamed about the future. What only was a mere fantasy would be reality soon enough.

 

  
Finally.


	25. Part 1 Finale: The Future

_T w o   d a y s   l a t e r . . ._

_9th November_  
_Headquarters of the Joja Corporation_  
_Fosving, Ferngill Republic_

 

A blue-haired secretary sat at her desk. She had tried to tie her long mane into a bun in order to look neat for the upcoming meeting, but it still looked a little bit messy.

  
Not that she cared. She hated this place, each and every of her coworkers, she hated Joja in general and the fact that she had to participate in this boring meeting.

  
Some high-ranking employees of Owen Brews would show up soon. It was about a collaboration between the two companies. The secretary hated their coffee, but she had a piece of their godly cheesecake in her lunchbox.

  
Department manager Robert Sharp entered the room, his own office.

  
"Porcia", he said with his voice that always made him sound like the pervert he was. "Are you done with everything you were supposed to?"

  
"How many times did I tell you I want to be called by my surname? If I would call you Rob, how would you react?", she hissed back at him.

  
"I would kick you out of here instantly. You don't deserve respect. No woman deserves any respect. I would find someone who's better than you in the blink of an eye."

  
Porcia wanted to laugh out. Her supervisor chose his secretary by several criteria, but how good one was at her job was rather unimportant. Robert was open-minded towards the secretary stereotype: Big-busted, with long hair and wearing the typical clothes. Porcia wasn't allowed to start her work without a black skirt and a white blouse. The only thing Porcia lacked was a pair of glasses.

  
She did it for the money. The regular Joja drones struggled to pay their rents every month, but she could even buy one or two video games every year, and she only had to save one and a half years to get her handheld console.

  
What a great life. Not.

  
It was very odd that Robert hadn't tried to touch her yet, but it didn't even matter that much. He made lewd comments over and over again. Sexual harressment wasn't necessarily about touching, words were bad enough.

  
After all, Porcia was not ready for throwing it all away. Her dad, who lovingly called her _Polly_ , was the person who kept her in this life. They only had each other, it was her and him alone against the rest of the world.  
Back in school, she had been quite popular, but most of her former friends moved to other towns or even foreign countries and had their own lives there.

  
She was, in fact, very lonely.

  
"To answer your question: I was already done twenty minutes ago. We need new office equipment, I'm checking our stocks right now", Porcia replied. "Do you need anything before I order? I already noted paper, paper clips, printer cartridges and a new laser pointer, since yours is broken since last week."

  
"A whip for castigating you sounds appropriate", Robert mumbled.

  
"I said _office equipment_."

  
"Ohh, don't play hard to get. You act obstinate, but you would love it." The look he gave her was explicit. If it was possible to undress a person by just looking, Porcia would rather starve than to keep working for this overweight, bald fifty-year old guy.

  
"You know what I'd love?", she asked and clenched her fists under the table. "If you would stop acting up like this."

  
"Huh?" Robert held a hand up to his ear in an overdone gesture. "What was that? I heard _please fire me_?"

  
"Mr. Sharp, stop it!", Porcia called out. Because she knew it was useless, she tried to distract him. "The meeting starts in twenty minutes. It's about time we go over to the conference room."

  
"Okay, grab what you need, then let's go."

  
"I am prepared since the morning. My notepad and my pens, that's all I need, as usual."

  
Robert strolled, Porcia marched into the conference room. It was a modern hall all in white with soft indirect light, but as cold as Joja itself was towards every employee. The room did not seem quite inviting. Most of the participants already took their seats, the men of the coffee company were among them. Porcia knew that they had traveled several hours by train; their headquarters were situated in Agison City far west of Fosving. Someone who was probably the assistant manager had his laptop ready and the biggest briefcase of them all. Surely it was up to him to present their facts and numbers. He put the glasses up on his nose before he quietly said something the coworker next to him. This man towered over everyone else even when sitting. Porcia shivered for the blink of an eye. Somehow he seemed to emit a cold aura, although she knew very well that that was impossible in terms of science.

  
"Good afternoon", she greeted, but nobody even noticed. After all, she was only a girl among all of those experienced men. Porcia herself didn't see anything good in them. Rather the opposite was the case, for she suspected that most of them were just born rich and never worked hard, they sat in their chairs and had their heads up in the clouds.

  
She hated them from the beginning. Hate cramped her heart each and every day, from the first breath of the day until the moment she closed her eyes. Bitterness, anger and jealousy always hid in Porcia's shadow for a reason she was absolutely aware of. Self-hatred had been burned into her soul from the start of her life on.

  
With a look onto the protocol which she had already prepared, she checked their guests' names. The names' order wasn't coordinated with the seating plan because it was irrelevant, but it said their names were Ryan Gibson, David Sterling, Noah Herman and Corneel Vestergard.

  
Not that it mattered – Porcia did not need to see any of them again somewhen.

  
Ewan Hewitt Williams, chairman of Joja, opened the meeting.

  
A click of her pen, and Porcia was ready.

  
"Good afternoon, it is a pleasure to be here today", he started. It was the sign for her to let the tip fly over the paper. Every word was written down immediatly at a frenetic pace.

  
Numbers, purposes, goals. There was nothing the secretary missed.

  
Mr. Williams closed the introduction with the following words:

  
"Today's protocol will be written by shorthand typist Porcia Regner."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm excited!  
> Porcia probably seems to be a jerk, but she will bloom under certain circumstances and reveal...you'll see that later!  
> A song that reminds me of Porcia (sorry, it's a strange habit, but I can't help it): "Triton" from Brendon Small's "Galaktikon".  
> If Porcia only knew that she would meet the son of one of these men some day.
> 
> Chapter 26, Elliott's life in Stardew Valley, will be the beginning of part 2. Tags and summary will be updated then.


	26. Partners in Crime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary of Part 2:  
> Elliott has found inspiration and peace in Stardew Valley. At least he thinks so until his ancestors' past catches up with him – a past he never knew of. The curse within his blood revolves around him faster and faster while he somehow tries to maintain a normal life. In the meantime, Porcia "Polly" Regner is fed up with her life as a shorthand secretary at Joja. Although her doubts are gigantic, she starts to think of her ticket to freedom every single day. She inherited a farm from her grandfather. It seems to be about time to try it out.
> 
> Summary of this chapter: Elliott acts rather clumsy on his first day in Stardew Valley.

**\- P A R T  T W O -**

 

 _8th November_  
_Stardew Valley_  
_Pelican Town, Ferngill Republic_

 

He nervously turned the door knob in his hand.

  
The faintly squeal of the hinges matched the atmosphere perfectly.

  
Old books and their wonderful smell welcomed Elliott in Pelican Town's library. Before he even took a look around himself, he couldn't help it but to enjoy the antique, familiar fragrance.

  
With slow steps across the creaking floorboards, he prowled towards a counter. This library seemed to be especially old-fashioned with its dim lights and gigantic, massive bookshelves.

  
Elliott knew exactly what his former boss would have said: _Too dark, too dusty, too much of everything._

  
He loved it.

  
Another person talking to the librarian behind the counter caused Elliott to wait in a befitting distance. Because he didn't want to stare at them, he only took a quick glance. Who seemed to be the librarian himself was a man in blue cowboy clothes, including the hat. His long dark brown hair was the same of the woman in front of the counter, but she was significantly younger.

  
Suddenly, she raised her voice towards Elliott. "Don't mind me, we are just chatting! Come closer!" Both of them gave him warm friendly smiles, and Elliott approached them. "Hello, I would like to introduce myself", he greeted, "My name is Elliott. I'm new in town, I just moved into the cabin down at the beach."

  
"Ah, it's you! Mayor Lewis already told me that a new writer would join our little community. If that isn't interesting! I'm Gunther, curator of Pelican Town's archaeological office, and this is Kana, my daughter."

  
"Hi!", she greeted and raised her hand, her elbow resting on the counter. "Nice to meet you, although we won't see each other very often. I'm just here to visit. I live in Zuzu City and only fly by every now and then."

  
"It's a pleasure to meet the two of you", Elliott replied and lowered his head in respect.

  
Setting up the subtle frameless glasses on her nose, Kana explained: "I'd love to have a little chat with you, unfortunately I was just about to go. My project and me have a date in the afternoon!"

  
"She works as a robotics scientist", her father stated more precisely.

  
"Yes, I'm not that bad when it comes to automation technology”, she claimed.

  
“It's a pity I never explored this exciting field until now. It would be nice if you could introduce me if you don't mind, whenever we meet again“, Elliott proposed.

  
"For sure! It's refreshing to talk to such enthusiastic young people!"

  
"Young?", he repeated, flabbergasted by what she just said, "I supposed we are in a similar age."

  
Kana giggled quietly while she seemed to blush. "May I take this as a compliment? I'm thirty-one, how about you?"

  
"Oh...I'm twenty."

  
"Ha! But to return the compliment: You look a few years older. Looking older is something good until a certain age. Gotta go now, see you around! Bye, dad!"

  
Gunther waved her goodbye. "Take care of yourself, dear!"

  
As soon as she had left, he said: "Sorry to keep you waiting! May I help you?"

  
Elliott raised his hands in an appeasing gesture. "It's no problem at all. I should be sorry, I suppose – I did not mean to act indelicate towards your daughter."

  
His laugh was restrained and quiet, probably he was used to it. They were in a library, after all. "Nay, it's fine. Kana is quite tough and not easily offended."

  
"Alright. ...I'd like to ask a favor of you. It may sound strange, but I will explain. My new home, my cabin, is small, as you probably know. The mayor obviously already told you that literature is my greatest passion. My way into Stardew Valley was a hasty one, so I have to admit that I did not think of one simple detail: There is not enough room for all of my books. Could you store some for me? If there is a possibility, I would be grateful."

  
"Well..." Gunther twirled his mustache between two of his fingers. "It depends. How many books are we talking about?"

  
After a deep breath, the writer replied: "Six..."

  
"Ha, of course--"

  
"...ty."

  
"Excuse me?"

  
"Sixty books", Elliott repeated. "I shouldn't have asked. Please forgive me."

  
The curator remained silent for a few seconds. "How do I put this? First, I can do it, that's no big problem. But if you have different kinds of books...I am always interested in antique books. Plus, those would probably be the ones that need to be protected the most. You know, from sand, wind and dampness. Are there any in your collection?"

  
"Yes, a lot! I inherited some from my grandparents that are fifty years and older by now. Those are mostly fairytales, short stories and poetry, but also specialized books about trams – my grandmother's greatest passion. She worked as a conductor."

  
"I can store them upstairs, where I live. Because that's my private realm, I want to read your books as well, at least some of them. In return, I won't hand them out to anyone else. What do you think?"

  
Nodding enthusiastically, Elliott agreed: "I suppose you will handle them with care, so I would be thankful if I can bring those books over."

  
"The library is open until 6:00 P.M. I'll pick you up around seven. Sixty is a bit too much to carry for one person alone, we'll do it together."

  
"That's very generous of you. You have my gratitude!"

  
"Don't mention it. This is what our community is about. Be sure that whenever you need help, someone will be there for you. It's similar to a huge family. You just moved here recently, right? Never forget the following: You are not alone."

 

 

What Gunther had said spinned around in the writer's head when he sat on the pier later that day. It was about time to obtain dinner. With his feet dangling in the air and the fishing rod in the sea, Elliott quietly listened to the rhythmic soughing as the waves came and went. Darkness encircled him and the wooden planks completely. Combined with the awful cold that slowly crawled nearer, an unsettling atmosphere was created. Elliott could not help it. What he wished for was not much. One good nourishing fish was enough, a little refreshing dinner before he went back to work with Gunther.

  
He had bread at home, a fresh fluffy loaf that tasted wonderful.

  
Still, not enough to silence his growling stomach.

  
Since Willy had told Elliott about the merpeople, he couldn't stop thinking about him as soon as he stared out to the glistening waters of the Gem Sea. Somehow he envied them. Being able to swim deftly as, well, the hybrids between human and fish they technically were, while breathing underwater and exploring a completely different world was a thought so alluring to Elliott that he let out a long sigh. Their culture was probably magnificent and breathtaking.

  
Sudden inspiration struck him like lightning.

  
Cities started to form in the mind's eye, mesmerizing towers, the castle of a king, a gigantic city far away and well sealed from any human civilization. From one moment to the other, Elliott's imagination was painted in the brightest colors nature had to offer. Everything he saw was so thrilling that the darkness and cold weren't relevant anymore. It just slid into the back of his mind.  
Soft sunlight shone through the surface. A bluish-green landscape surrounded Elliott as he swam towards a tower. Merpeople had decorated its surface with shimmering shells in pink, violet, green and turquoise. For a while, he went around the tower in a spiralling manner, working his way upwards, until he reached the spire. All of it was a fantasy, therefore it was up to Elliott to decide what was in the uppermost room.  
His quickest idea, although it was probably too easy, was a chamber for the princess.

  
Curiosity made his fingers tremble when he reached out to knock at the window.

  
Even after he had done so, the trembling did not stop. Both of Elliott's hands kept quivering. He needed a few seconds until he understood.

  
The fishing rod. There was something on the hook.

  
Gasping in shock, his grip around the pole tightened. With a bit of luck, a tasty meal was just a heartbeat away.

  
Reeling it in was surprisingly easy, therefore the growing tension was rather short – the disappointment was even more gigantic when Elliott discovered what he had caught.

  
An dented can of Joja cola.

  
For a few seconds, Elliott maintained an empty stare at the worthless metal while he climbed the climax of discouragement. Even the smallest anchovy would have been better than this. Everything that Elliott had forgotten during his daydream returned at once: The bitter cold, the approaching night, autumn itself and the fact that his dinner would look quite lousy.

  
Out of the affect, he ripped the can off the hook and tossed it back into the sea, just to painfully regret it the exact same moment.

  
„Shucks, I shouldn't have done that“, Elliott whispered to himself. He could still see the can drifting on the waves, only faintly because of the gloom around him. It was not too late to correct his mistake – if he just slid off the edge into the sea, it would have been easy to reach it and pick it out again.

  
„Elliott, wait! Don't go in!“

  
„Hm?“ A look over his shoulder revealed Gunther to be the person who just called out for him.

  
„Why shouldn't I?“, Elliott wondered.

  
„Because...we have an appointment together, have you already forgotten?“

  
The writer slowly stood up, careful not to trip. „Is it already time?“

  
Gunther nodded. „It is 7:05 P.M., but I watched you for a few minutes, if I am being honest. I did not want to interrupt you while you reeled your...magnificent catch in.“

  
„Gods, I feel so guilty. Polluting the environment is reprobate. The burden of failure weighs on my shoulders heavily.“

  
„Now it's too late. Learn from it for the future. You want to live off the sea, so treat it well.“

  
Together they walked over to the cabin. Robin had been very kind as she even installed an electric light and one single power plug. The illuminated room looked a bit less sad than in the darkness, still it appeared bleak with a tea rose as its only decoration.

  
It was the tea rose the housemaids had gifted Elliott for his twentieth birthday.

  
„Those four boxes in front of my desk are packed with the books I'd like you to take care of“, Elliott explained, „Initially, I planned to get two of them over until 7:00 P.M., but time was passing much quicker than I was aware.“

  
„Don't you worry. We'll come back and get the rest.“

  
„If you say so. I just hope I'm not too much of a burden...“

  
„That's nonsense.“ Both of them grabbed a box and started their walk towards the library. Wet sand crunched under their feet until the sound turned into the quiet rustling of grass.

  
After walking quietly for half of the way, Gunther pondered: „It won't be easy for you, I guess.“

  
„What exactly do you mean?“, Elliott wanted to know.

  
„I mean pretty much everything. I could see you were having a hard time at fishing. Life won't be simpler in winter, especially in a house without any insulation.“

  
„I'm stoic and adamant when it comes to my book. If the days of quiet reflection will help me with my writing, I will endure everything.“

  
„What kind of book are you working on?“

  
„It's a fantasy novel, still I don't like to claim a certain subgenre. If I had to pinpoint it, it would probably a mix of dark and science fantasy. My script is done to approximately forty percents.“

  
„That sounds good. I'm looking forward to read it some day.“

  
„So am I.“ A contented smirk unfolded on Elliott's lips. „Sometimes I try to imagine which kind of cover an illustrator will design for my book. The day I hold a physical copy of my own work in my hands...I will never forget it once it's finally done.“

  
„Hold on to this feeling, boy, and remember it whenever you are down.“ Gunther put down his box and unlocked the library. Behind the counter, a narrow staircase lead up to his loft. Much to Elliott's surprise, it actually looked like a combination of an attic and an apartment. The spacious living-room, the kitchen and even a bedroom were all combined without walls, with ancient artifacts in each corner and bookshelves on every wall. None of the walls nor the floor were painted. It smelled like raw wood...and noodles.

  
„Put your box down wherever you like“, Gunther offered. He placed the one he was carrying on a sideboard and rustled through the books afterwards. „Let me be curious for a moment...what rarities do we have here? _Queen of Stone_ , _Raised by my Enemies_ , _Dwelling in the Void_ , ...ah, I'm impressed. Those books are in an excellent condition despite their age!“

  
He stopped when he heard Elliott gasping.

  
„Is this...what I think it is?“, he asked in awe.

  
„Hey! Put that away!“, Gunther urged as he saw one of his own books in the hand of his guest, but Elliott looked at the foreign characters for a little longer until he closed the book and put it back into the shelf.  
„I'm sorry!“, he called out and blushed heavily, „I did not know you are from the Empire...“

  
„I am. We fled two years before the war started because it was already unbearable and we supposed to be safer here in the Ferngill Republic. Which we definitely are.“

  
„Did you know that this sign on the cover is forbidden?“, Elliott wondered.

  
„Why do you think I rushed you to put it down? Please listen closely: Nobody in Pelican Town knows that me and Kana are Gotorians. We don't want anyone hate us for something we can't change.“

  
„Would somebody actually do that?“

  
„But of course. I really like the people here, still most of them aren't...how do I put this? They aren't the brightest...many of them were indoctrinated with claims about us Gotorians being the enemy of every Ferngiller. I would expect some of them to be racist, if I am being fully honest. What makes it even worse is that there is actually a soldier in our town who was a war prisoner in the Gotoro Empire. Kana and me feel very bad for him, but there is nothing we can do about it. The other villagers show their solidarity, and they loathe everyone who possibly harmed him. They see what my compatriots did to him."

  
The two men gravely stared into each others' eyes for a few seconds until Gunther added: "I saved a few books and artifacts when we left the country. Now that you know I own banned literature, we're partners in crime. Well done."

  
Elliott lowered his head. "Please forgive me. I won't tell anyone."

  
"You won't tell anyone?" With slow steps, Gunther came nearer, so near that Elliott almost wanted to shy away. Their noses practically touched when the curator hissed: "You better don't. I don't feel like losing the villagers' trust, especially because I did not make any mistake. Nobody must know this secret, it's between you, me and my daughter. Understood? How would you feel if I told your biggest secret to anyone?"

  
"I-Is there..." Elliott swallowed louder than he intended to. "Is there anything you are referring to?"

  
Gunther's expression changed in a strange way. He opened his eyes wide, as if Elliott said something surprising, and remained in this state for a few thoughtful seconds. Then, he suddenly smiled again. "No, there isn't. That's why it's your secret, right?"

  
Despite his raging heartbeat and shaking hands, Elliott spoke up: "I have no big secrets, for I want to be a genuinely honest person. Back where I came from, I sometimes tried to lie or to bluff. Those times are over now. There's no need to pretend anymore."

  
No trace of anger was still visible in the curator's face. "That's good! Keep it up that way. Now, you surely are hungry? What do you think about eating together before we pick up the other books?"  
"Excuse me? We just met for the first time. Are you sure?"

  
"Sit down! You're my guest. Though I have to admit I'm not the best cook – that was my ex-wife's part and I never really learned it even after our divorce. On the other hand, there's not much to ruin about plain noodles with cheese sauce, right?"

  
There wasn't. Gunther served a nice portion of steaming perfection for the new inhabitant of Pelican Town. At least it was perfect to Elliott. Gunther was indeed a strange person, as Leah already indicated.  
Still, Elliott was sure that this was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kana has been one of my OCs for at least ten years. I haven't used her in a long time, but I wanted to give Gunther at least a bit of a background. I'm sure that Gunther could have been an interesting character and he will get his screen time next to Elliott. Then suddenly, this OC came into my mind for the first time in years, and I thought she would make a good daughter for him! She will appear occasionally, at festivals and such.  
> Gunther won't be the only non-giftable NPC I write about. Another one will play an important role somewhen later.
> 
> And yes, in the game, Kent returns after the farmer moves into the valley, but I didn't want it that way.


	27. Unable to see

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's already Monday, I should have uploaded this yesterday. I'm sorry...life is kicking me through the toughest time of the decade right now.

_9th November_  
_Elliott's cabin_  
_Pelican Town, Ferngill Republic_

On this morning, Elliott was woken by a deep, distant, but still extremely loud sound from outside of his home. He rushed up into a sitting position abruptly and listened closely.

  
At first he thought he was having a bad dream, but the sound was indeed real. It seemed to be the sonorous roaring of a fog horn.

  
Feeling a bit apprehensive, Elliott quickly changed into the first shirt and jeans he could find, snuggled up into his warmest coat and stepped outside.

  
The weather was rather off-putting on that day: black clouds covered the sky like a portentous curtain. Dense fog crawled up to the cabin so close that Elliott couldn't even see the coastline. He minded every step when he carefully slinked towards the water.

  
No ship was visible, naturally. Nothing was visible at all, except a few metres of the grayish sea, covered in gushing spume.

  
In the moment he wanted to turn around and go, something else was suddenly hearable.

  
Still distant, as if it was located somewhere on the sea or even inside of it.

  
It resembled the singing voice of a woman, but it sounded somehow unnatural, hollow and eerie.

  
Like she was singing and crying at the same time.

  
Ice-cold shivers ran down Elliott's spine while he started to hear his own blood rushing in his ears. Was he possibly still dreaming, after all?

  
He gathered a bit of courage to breathe in deeply and call out to the sea:

  
"Is there anybody out there?"

  
All of a sudden, the voice fell silent. Without being able to see where it came from, Elliott could hear a faint plash. Then he was alone with the crashing waves.

  
Somebody had been in the water, but was now gone.

  
He strained his eyes to desperately seek for the slightest hint.

  
"That's useless", somebody said next to him.

  
The writer yelled out a restrained curse. "Willy?! I did not hear you approaching me at all!"

  
"Mornin'", he replied, unmoved.

  
"...Good morning. Did you hear it as well?"

  
"Sure."

  
Elliott mumbled: "This is creepy. First the fog horn, then something...or someone...singing out on the water in this mourning tone..."

  
"Ye better get used to those sounds", Willy said, "Things like these are hearable all over town in foggy weather. There is more than meets the eye. Like I already told you, supernatural things happen in this valley, and nonhuman beings of any kind live here. This particular chant was, of course, a mermaid. In rain and darkness, they become quite daring and approach the coast, if they know it's not crowded with people."

  
"Did I scare her away?", Elliott asked.

  
"Yes, you definitely did. I said they are shy. But don't worry...if you're keen on meeting them, you might get your chance. There's something going on...they be creepin' to and fro at our coast. I've been seeing more merpeople in the last week than in my whole entire life. I thought they are lookin' out for help...but they won't answer, and I have no idea what they want from us. They stare out of the water, sometimes under the surface, sometimes above...as soon as I see them, they flee."

  
"She sounded so...incredibly sad. I somehow want to...it may sound strange, but I want to help her."

  
Willy scratched the beard on his chin and explained: "Legends say that this is exactly what they aim for: Getting you into their territory, where you are nothing more than helpless prey. Never follow them when they call out for you."

  
"Really?"

  
"I mean it! Although I don't know if it's true, don't you try it out! The merpeople I met so far were shy, but friendly – still I wouldn't provoke them either."

  
"Wow. I did not expect them to be possibly cruel, to be honest."

  
"Ha..." The fisherman once again demonstrated a raucous laugh. "Yer sight on the world is somewhat romantic, eh?"

  
"People tend to mock me for it", Elliott answered quietly.

  
"Enjoy your innocence while you can and keep your feet out of the water when you hear the mermaids sing. ...How are you doing, by the way?"

  
"Oh, I...still need to get used to everything, but everything will be fine. I have a hard time at fishing. It's about time I pick up some groceries from Pierre's store, or else I will starve from not catching any fish."  
"Come over to my shop some time today. I'll show you how to do it."

  
Elliott smiled faintly and nodded. "Your help would be appreciated. Thank you."

  
"Meh, I better open the shop soon. See you later, probably!"

  
"Yes, for sure! See you then." The two of them split up – Willy's silhouette was swallowed by the heavy mist after only a few steps. Elliott went back into his cabin and turned the light on. It looked humble, but it was his own private heaven. Emptiness and calm would enable him to write all day. The only reason he did not do so already was the fact that there were enough other issues for him to take care of. He needed something to eat, furthermore he had promised Robin to pay her as soon as possible. Although she said he should not rush, Elliott felt bad about letting her wait even one day longer. Her income was important for her family, so he decided to fight his way through the repugnant weather despite how bad his hair would look afterwards.

  
After a quick breakfast of two plain slices of bread (because it was still everything he had), Elliott took his hairbrush and buffed the thick fluffy strands of hazel hair on his head. He washed his face, brushed his teeth and wrapped himself up in a black woolly scarf before he put on his crimson coat again. The money for Robin was hidden under Elliott's pillow – he would lie very low after he paid her. With the stacks of cash, a comb and a pocket umbrella in his briefcase, he left the cabin once again, back into the darkness.

  
First, he went for a quick stop in the saloon.

  
Gus was just about to scrub the tables and looked up when the door opened.

  
"A guest in this weather?", he called out in surprise, "Good morning!"

  
"Good morning", Elliott replied and sat down at the bar, "I'd like to have a cup of coffee, please, but a regular one this time."

  
"Of course." The barkeeper strolled back behind the counter and started to grind the beans. "...What do you do out here on a day like this?"

  
"Usually, I'd stay inside for sure. Still I have to see Robin today, and I need to pick up some groceries urgently. By the way, can you tell me where I find the Calla family's house? I have never been there before."  
Gus hummed approvingly. "I have a map of Pelican Town here. I can show you. Just one moment..."

  
Elliott waited patiently. With an annoyed sigh, he laid his hand onto his side. The itching in his healing wound was sometimes about to drive him crazy. Luckily, he knew that it was almost over. He would see Harvey the next day to get the filaments removed.

  
"Are you okay?", Gus asked timidly. Apparently he noticed that something bugged his guest.

  
Elliott nodded with closed eyes. "It's not worth mentioning. I'm fine."

  
A short silent while later, he was served with a wonderful cup of hot coffee, and he wrapped his hands around it tightly as if it was an anchor that saved him from that cold day into an oasis of warmth.  
Then, a map was unfolded before his eyes.

  
"Alright, so we are here", Gus explained and pointed into the centre of Pelican Town. It was quite detailed, at least every single house was visible, even if they were small. "This is the beach, as you can clearly see. So, you came up this way, and you need to go further upwards. Pass Pierre's store and go up the stairs. The path will bend to the right, just follow it as it becomes steeper. Go on for, hm, maybe 200 metres and you will reach a big house with a garage. That's Robin's house!" After a pause, he added: "Are you sure you want to do this? It's easy under normal circumstances, but you can hardly see your own hand today. Is it so important to see her today?"

  
Before he answered, Elliott carefully squinted over to Shane who sat in the darkest corner with a beer, even at this time of the day. He supposed it was too dangerous to mention the comparatively huge amount of money in his bag in the near of this man.

  
"It is indeed urgent", Elliott said without any further explanation.

  
"Well, who am I to argue?"

  
"Thank you for your concern. I'll make this quick. The sooner I'm home again, the better."

  
He emptied his coffee quicker than usual, almost in one go, and left the saloon with the map in his briefcase.

  
Breathing heavily, Elliott trudged through the persistent haze. Autumn days were usually quite inspiring for him – it lured him into a pensive mood and helped him when he tried to focus on his fantasy.  
Sometimes, it was a bit too much, when it made him lose track of what was actually important.

  
He found Robin's house without bigger problems, handed the money over and thanked her over and over again. Although she once again claimed that it would have been okay to come over the other day, Elliott knew very well that she was thankful as well. When they shook hands, he could sense that she had been looking forward to receive her wage. The two of them had a amusing chat together and while they were at it, Robin introduced Elliott to Demetrius, her husband. Feeling upbeat and careless after spending half an hour with them, Elliott set off to leave the mountains. Noon would probably be about to approach as soon as his shopping was done.

  
Somehow he could not stop pondering about Sebastian since he had visited his parents, or his mother and his stepfather, more precisely. Apparently, he felt alone and misunderstood. Elliott had a feeling that Sebastian did not fit into his family the way he wanted to.

  
They both felt like they did not belong there.

  
It gave Elliott the supposition that the two of them were maybe quite similar to each other in some points.

  
Strangely, he envied Sebastian for his loving family. They did not seem to scorn him.

  
On the other hand, Elliott knew well enough that every family worked different behind closed doors.

  
If it ever worked at all.

  
While he went back into town, he drifted deeper and deeper into gloomy thoughts. Eventually, he even got hooked in his daydreams completely and became unaware of his surroundings. He felt safe as long as he followed the same way he came.

  
At least it was what Elliott intended to do. A mysterious whining noise, definitely nonhuman, woke him from his daydream. Whatever he thought about, it faded away immediatly. Suddenly, Elliott felt very vulnerable. He decided that it would be the best idea to wait for a moment. If he heard the sound again, it could have been possible to assess its direction and origin.

  
There it was again. Never in his life had Elliott heard something like it. The deep cry ran through his body, petrified him as his heart filled with fear.

  
His attempt to make out a direction was futile. Nonetheless, Elliott was sure the source was not in close proximity of his current location.

  
Unsure of where he actually was, he took a look around himself. Somehow he ended up between some trees he had definitely not seen before. He was not walking on grass anymore. Soft soil cushioned his steps as he explored his surroundings and determined that he got lost on his way.

  
Like before, a relentless foggy wall blindfolded Elliott.

  
When he just discoved a vertical rock face a few metres next to the trees, the low yowling started again, much nearer this time.

  
Elliott pressed his back against a tree and tried to fill his lungs with air. Fear creeped over the cold, wet earth, it clamped around Elliott's ankles to slowly clamber up and possess him.

  
A flashback made his world sway. When a shadow suddenly appeared right before his headlights and Elliott ran it over – he was immediatly thrown back to this day. An uncountable number of black silhouettes appeared in the mist, unsharp, vague. As they stepped nearer, the air felt like cotton wool in his chest. Breathing faster did not help either. Gruesome shadow brutes were about to get him this time.

  
The writer slid down on the tree trunk and fumbled around in his pockets in order to find his phone. He realized that he was about to snap, and although he knew exactly that he couldn't describe to Leah where he was and he also knew that she would mention his extremely unstable mental state, he needed her.

  
Luckily they already exchanged numbers when they first met.

  
In the few fearful seconds he waited for Leah to pick up the phone, he heard a phone ringing in the distance. Looking at the display, then back into the fog, a vague hope started growing in him. Indeed, the ringing stopped as soon as Leah picked up.

  
"Hello?", she said.

  
Instead of answering back into the phone, Elliott shouted: "Leah, are you here?"

  
First, he could hear her saying quietly: "What the hell?" Then she replied loud and clearly: "Hey Elliott, yes, it's me! What are you doing here?"

  
"Please wait for me! I'm over here!"

  
He dashed in the direction he heard Leah's voice from, until she suddenly interrupted him: "Wait! Don't come any closer!"

  
In this moment, he realized that one of his feet stood on higher ground. "Huh?", Elliott mumbled to himself, with a look down on the ground, "Aren't that...train tracks?"

  
Like he summoned it with his words, an extremely bright light suddenly dazzled him from the left.

  
A constant puffing sound presaged an incoming steely colossus.

  
Elliott's leap off was not half as elegant as he always tried to seem, but at least it brought him directly into Leah's arms. She opened them wide at the last moment. However, Elliott was too quick and Leah too slow. They staggered for a second until they ultimately lost their balance and keeled over once again.

  
The two of them had been at this point before: A few days ago, when Elliott had told Leah that he would move into his cabin, she had knocked him over out of her profuse joy.

  
This time, it was the other way round. Leah's back slammed down onto the cold ground and Elliott's face suddenly hovered close above her own.

  
"I'm having a deja vu right now", she murmured and stroked his soft hair out of her face and behind his ear.

  
Then, the incoming train silenced them both.

  
"Me too", she could read from his lips while the roaring clatter on the railroad echoed right behind him.

  
"Won't go...let me stand up again?", Leah whispered, knowing that Elliott could not hear her.

  
Her eyes widened as she understood he wouldn't have been able to hear her words no matter the circumstances.

  
Everything she needed to know was in the way he clawed into the soil left and right of her head. Panic made his arms shake.

  
"Elliott!", she called out, desperately trying to reach him with words. It was like she was put on mute and therefore useless to say something. Wagons full of coal still rumbled loudly over the tracks.

  
Although she feared it, Leah laid her hands onto Elliott's cheeks. The bless of her soft, warm touch instantly soothed him and made him sigh with relief. Finally he stood up and set her free. After he offered his hand to Leah and helped her, he commenced to watch the train mercilessly puff through the valley. Another minute passed until it disappeared in the tunnel.

  
"How do I start now?", Elliott asked himself, still gazing into the pit.

  
His friend asked: "Was it inappropiate to touch you like that?"

  
Turning his view towards her, he replied: "There is no inappropiate way to touch me if it's you. I mean...why do I say something like this?"

  
"I will just ignore what you just said, but don't like your mental state at all. What on earth happened?"

  
"The weather made me go lost", Elliott explained, "Never have I seen a railroad around here. I have no idea where I am right now. Intimidated and unable to see, I remembered that fateful evening when I encountered the riskiest fight of my young career as a swordsman. ...That's when I lost control. Will you accept my apologies?"

  
Leah answered: "Of course I will, but that doesn't change that I'm seriously worried! The panic I saw in your eyes scares me. Didn't you move here in order to feel better?"

  
"Please, grant me more time. It's my second day here and I had almost no opportunities to write, no occasion to find my solace in the written words. Although I appreciate your concern, I'm optimistic and certain that you won't have to worry about me."

  
"What are you doing up here, by the way?"

  
"Initially, I wanted to head home after I visited Robin. I obviously failed miserabely."

  
"We are _behind_ her house", Leah described, "Right next to a train station, as you just noticed when you almost let yourself run over. There are stairs leading up here; it's impossible to not catch it. How can you go up while you head home?"

  
Elliott breathed in. Opened his mouth. Held his breath and closed it again.

  
Which words would he use to explain something that nobody ever understood about him?

  
Just when he thought he had it, a soft drizzle started to go down on the already damp earth.

  
"Oh no, my hair", Elliott whispered to himself and quickly fumbled his umbrella out of his bag.

  
A quick look at Leah revealed that she neither had an umbrella nor a hood.

  
_Ah, love, what a fickle thing_ – he had said it to his own love only a few days ago, and although Elliott knew that his mane would look messy and muddled, he also knew very well that love sometimes was about dispensing with supposedly important things. Things that his admired Leah could have better use for than himself. Rather would he persist in heavy rain for hours than to watch her in the lightest drizzle for a minute.

  
In the end, he extended his hand and the umbrella towards her.

  
"Here, take it to shield yourself from the rain", Elliott proposed to her.

  
Leah stared at him until a gentle smile let her glow in the midst of the fog.

  
"Dearest Elliott", she replied and laid her arm around his, "If you allow, I'd like to share it with you."

  
"Oh...it would be a pleasure." Her touch made him blush and smile at the same time. Even further, it made him feel unnecessarily proud and he forced himself to take his nose tip down a bit when they walked off the plateau side by side.

  
Whatever the origin of the sound was, both of them felt safe together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Sometimes when I lay in bed I can hear a distant foghorn cut through the rain. But when I look out the window I see only a curtain of gray."  
> This line of Elliott's dialogues in Stardew Valley inspired me right here.


	28. Affliction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If not mentioned otherwise, day and location are the same as in the previous chapter.

With her head raised up to see Elliott's face, Leah described what she had been doing in the repugnant weather.

  
"I was trying to get myself in the right mood for painting", Leah explained. "You probably did it before. First I was taking a break, then it was hard to pick the brush up again, so I made my way up here to get my creativity flowing again."

  
"What are you working on right now?", Elliott wanted to know.

  
"Visit me tomorrow, I'd like to show you! I keep on talking about my work but I did not present any to you yet. Oh, I hope you'll like it..."

  
"As you are an image of grace and elegancy yourself, I am absolutely sure your performance is flawless."

  
She hummed a little kittenish melody. Her companion inquired: "So there is something I would like to know. When we met and I took your hand, I felt this chill, do you remember?"

  
"Of course I do, it was like a week ago."

  
"Forcing you to answer is the least I want, but you said you would tell me what it is about as soon as I move here. Both of us can clearly see that I did. Would you like to reveal it?"

  
"I almost forgot", Leah admitted, "Pelican Town is holding the Ice Festival on 8th December. Me and some other villagers will carve gigantic statues made of pure ice! I am so looking forward to it, it has been exciting me for weeks already. Please understand that I won't tell more – I don't want anyone to hear which kind of statue I'm planning exactly."

  
"What an intriguing thought!", Elliott approved.

  
"Now that we talk about festivals, the _Stardew Valley Fair_ will take place in our town in one week from now. For former town dwellers like us, it's something like a funfair. There will be games, food and fun, we expect tourists from all over the country to attend. I highly recommend you to join, the entire town will be out and about."

  
"Tourists from the entire country?", Elliott repeated, "Is it that popular?"

  
"Believe me! Pelican Town may seem sleepy for the rest of the year, but this is going to be cool."

  
Elliott pondered about it for a moment. It seemed to be a good opportunity to finally show his eloquent side again. Until then, he did not have many chances to meet other villagers, and if somebody asked him, he had probably admitted that he was not quite keen on it anymore. His last days had been stressful. The writer was yearning for some time for himself until he felt ready to socialize again.

  
"What are your plans for the rest of the day?", Leah asked while they passed the community center.

  
"After I brought you home, I need to pick up some groceries at Pierre's. Willy kindly offered me to train fishing later today."

  
"You don't need to bring me home. Look, we're almost at the store and I will find the last few steps to my home myself." _If it doesn't hurt your pride_ , she added in her thoughts. She knew how much Elliott enjoyed to be the charming gallant.

  
His answer took a few seconds, then he agreed: "If you insist, we split up at the store."

  
"I insist in that case."

  
Leah could almost feel Elliott's lips crimping. The bright contrast between his vain and posh demeanor and his humble way of living would probably irritate some of the other villagers. For Leah, it was cute to see how hard he was trying.

  
When they stopped in front of the shop, Elliott requested: "Would you do me the favor and take my umbrella with you?"

  
"Sorry, I refuse again. I won't die on my way through the rain."

  
Suddenly, Elliott laid a hand onto his chest and sighed deeply.

  
"The pure thought that something could happen to you fills my heart with somberness", he mumbled.

  
Leah shook her head. "Why are you so dramatic?"

  
"I had to face this question so many times."

  
"But...I didn't mean to...whelp, I guess that was a bit impudent", she admitted, blushing. "Um, sorry."

  
"I-I'm..." As if he was looking for the right words, he stared down at the cobblestone paths and breathed in slowly.

  
The smile he gave Leah made him look worn out and tired. "I'm used to it", Elliott finally stated.

  
Without losing any more words, she tightly hugged him, making him gasp. He didn't expect her approach at all.

  
She quietly asked him: "Promise me to look out for help if you can't handle it anymore. I believe there are many things you never really processed."

  
"I process it through writing. Writing is like my life elixir, Leah. Don't you feel the same about your art? The more I write, the better I feel...I am going to be okay. Thanks for your concern."

  
"If you say so...I just have to believe you, I suppose."

  
"It would be appreciated."

  
Her grip loosened, tearing the hole in Elliott's heart even bigger. "Okay. It's better to go home now, but never forget that I am ready to help you day and night. Take care."

  
"See you soon", he said.

  
Being in her near hurt, watching her leave wasn't better either.

  
He felt like a failure while he waited for her to disappear in the fog. Over the years, Elliott had attracted many girls and women he had never asked for. They saw the poetic, mysterious romantic in him.

  
The one woman he could not have was the one he desired the most.

  
With strangely numb feet, Elliott entered Pierre's store. As expected, he was the only customer. Abigail was helping her father with a few smaller tasks around the store, but she was obviously not very keen on chatting. She left the store a short while later.

  
"Where are you going, by the way?", Pierre called after her as she was just about to go.

  
"Over to the Bradleys, hanging with the boys", she quickly responded without turning around.

  
"I don't think so", he mumbled as soon as Abigail was gone.

  
Elliott placed his groceries on the counter and answered: "Why should she be lying? Pardon me if it's none of my business..."

  
"No, I don't mind. Whenever it rains, Abigail visits the graveyard, but she won't tell us. If I would call Sam's mother and ask her if Abby showed up today, I'm sure she would say no. Abigail is...how do I put this? I love her. She's my daughter, after all. But...her love for everything occult, monsters and sword fighting combined with her gigantic interest in death and the afterlife makes her sometimes a bit hard to handle. Enough of my complaints! Have you found everything you were looking for?"

  
"Indeed, I have. Thank you very much."

  
They had another small meaningless chat, not for long since Pierre was not in the best mood. Packed with food for one week, Elliott headed home. He could even buy a single pomegranate. Back where he came from, victuals were neither rare nor limited, but Pierre said that he could sell certain food only once in a while, like Elliott's favorite fruit. He would enjoy it thoroughly.

  
In the afternoon, the weather became a bit more bearable. It stopped raining and the fog was not as dense as before. The air smelled wonderful, perfectly clean after it had been rinsed for hours. A ponytail made Elliott's hair a bit easier to handle when he visited Willy in order to fish with him. His tips made fishing a lot simpler for the beginner, and he was certain that he would not be as unsuccessful anymore.

  
Dawn was already approaching when Elliott practiced to disembowel his catch together with the experienced fisherman on a small table outside of the store.

  
"Get used to it", Willy said once again when he saw his student's face.

  
Elliott, much to his own discomfort with his bare hands in ice-cold slimy innards, stated: "Oh, I will. There are more pleasant tasks, but I will do this at least two times a week. I knew before I chose a house at the coast."  
"You can use this table anytime you want. Scaling and gutting fish is too messy to do it inside. And why should you set up your own workstation although I'm living right next to ya? Now we dry the fish, dab it a bit after you threw its innards into that bucket."

  
They heard steps on the pier and were greeted by a familiar voice shortly after.

  
"Hello there! Ah, if that isn't Elliott. I wanted to talk to you anyway, good to meet the two of you in one spot."

  
"Ahoy, Gunther!", Willy answered, "Heh, I'm teaching the boy to live off the sea. Always refreshing to pass on my knowledge! What brings you here? Lookin' for fish?"

  
"Sure, I have an appetite for it today. What have you been catching?"

  
"I'll show you. It's inside, stored in the ice. Elliott, wait until we're done, will you?"

  
Willy held the door for his customer. Outside, Elliott could hear him talking about the wonderful quality of the tilapia he had reeled in earlier that day.

  
It felt strange for him to easily kill a living being like that. As he saw himself as one of the more empathetic humans, he wondered what it felt like for this small, simple fish, as unimportant as it probably seemed.  
Yet he would kill over and over again. Would it become normal to him?

  
In the middle of his thought, Elliott raised his eyes from the fish, just to see that a pair of eyes stared at him from outside of the water.

  
It looked surpringly humanoid and was probably male. Instead of ears, he had gills that somehow resembled tiny fins, and slightly bluish skin. Everything below his short, black hair and his eyes were still under the surface and impossible to see.

  
While Elliott still asked himself how he should react, the merman submerged silently.

  
The door opened, Willy and Gunther with his tilapia stepped out again.

  
"I saw one of them!", Elliott called out in excitement. "The merpeople...one of them was watching me until I noticed him."

  
Willy replied: "Ah, good! Maybe they will retreat then. Like I told you, they were quite fearless and approached the coast over and over again for several days now. Since we talked about your cabin, more precisely. I'm sure they were curious about who lives at the edge of their world now. That's important to them, you could be a possible danger. Since you are treating nature with respect, I hope they will respect you as well. No matter how interesting merpeople are to us, it's better for both worlds if they stay in their own realm."

  
Looking at Gunther, Elliott asked: "I want to learn about them. Do you have any books about the merpeople?"

  
"Yes, there are a few. Come over anytime you'd like."

  
"Furthermore, you hinted there is something you wanted to talk about?"

  
Gunther replied: "Oh, nothing special. Everything I wanted to know is how you are doing."

  
"How I am doing?", Elliott repeated with raised eyebrows, "This is it and nothing more? I am honored, and because you are probably waiting for a proper answer: I am doing well."

  
"Becoming a part of a little community like this can be tough. Although most of us will be willing to help, there are troublesome characters in every society."

  
"How difficult has your start been?", Elliott wondered.

  
"It was rather easy, to be honest. The other villagers were happy because the museum and library were finally reopened. Kana lived with me for the first three weeks until she found her own apartment in Zuzu City, she made it easier also. Despite her age, she was quite popular among the younger people. It was probably her who made me successful around here. She initiated a "reopening festival" within one week, cooked truckloads of food and organized games for the children. This was why everyone liked us from the beginning, I suppose."

  
"Your daughter seems to be a wonderful person. She is burning with enthusiasm."

  
"Bet on it", Gunther answered, "Kana is the light of my life. We went through a lot, especially because her mother tried to disunite us. You will understand as soon as you are a father yourself: There can't be a more important woman in a man's life than his daughter."

  
"Heh", Willy scoffed, "That's why I married the sea. Look at my lady, isn't she wonderful? She never complains and she pleases me each and every day. Be smart, lad, don't get yourself a wife. They only cause trouble."

  
"You can't generalize women in such a disrespectful way", Gunther scolded him. With a look on Elliott's concerned expression, he added: "We don't know if you have a girlfriend, right? Just because nobody moved in with you doesn't mean you aren't taken."

  
"I have to disagree with both of you. Willy, I see women as adorable creatures that deserve attention and respect. About a possible girlfriend of mine, Gunther...it's a case of unrequited love."

  
"Oh, that...must hurt." The curator scratched his chin in a nervous way. Obviously he did not know what to say.

  
"Imagine it to be an affliction of the heart that consumes you completely", Elliott explained: "...That is everything I want to say about it. Please understand."

  
"Come on now, get going or else we will still stand here at midnight. We'll proceed by cutting the head off", Willy urged him.

  
"The head? ...Ah, the fish."

  
Gunther, with a smirk on his face, left the two of them shortly after. For the rest of Willy's instructions, Elliott could not get his thoughts away from the merpeople. Their race had been interesting to him since he heard about them, but now that he saw one, he was on the brink of obsession.

  
Later that evening, a spoon in his red snapper stew, Elliott decided that he would never rest until he talked to one merman or mermaid.

  
He remembered the endless water he had sensed after he had grabbed his father's hand, and an idea started to grow in Elliott's mind.


	29. Human / Nonhuman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smalltalk and self-doubting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It will become better. Elliott still thinks about himself a lot, but soon there will be other matters he'll have to take care of.

_10th November_

_Elliott's cabin_

_Pelican Town, Ferngill Republic_

 

While he was caught in a horrifying nightmare, a voice reached out to Elliott's mind.

The distant call stayed unnoticed several times like an unimportant bubbling somewhere in the water.

Elliott was unable to fight against an illusory underwater beast. It wrapped its spiky tail around one of his wrists and pulled him nearer. Trapped in agony, Elliott quickly covered his eyes before his entire body was surrounded by endless darkness...

Suddenly, he felt a firm touch on his shoulder that made him gasp.

It brought him back into reality.

His back hurt, as well as his right cheek. Before he could even remember what happened, he saw Leah looking down on him, undoubtedly worried.

"Hi", she said with an unmoved expression, "Do you usually fall asleep while writing?"

After a few thoughtful moments to fully regain his alertness, Elliott slowly raised his head from the desk and his wrist which his right cheek had lain on.

"Hello, Leah...ah, I...just wanted to rest my eyes, but apparently I spent my night here. What an unpleasant location to sleep...I must have been tired."

"You did not spent your night here", she corrected, "But almost the entire morning as well. It's 11:00 P.M."

Her words hit him like lightning and made him jump up as such. "What did you just say?"

Leah summarized: "I was wondering about which time you wanted to show up. Then, I found you like this. ...Good Yoba, you look awfully exhausted."

"Those nightmares are driving me crazy", Elliott mumbled, "They had been gone for two or three nights, but now it starts all over again. Combined with my sleeping position, I answer you: I do not feel refreshed or recovered at all. It does not matter though, for I planned to see Harvey in the morning already. This means I need to get started immediatly."  
"Do you want me to come with you?"  
Turning his eyes to the side and slightly blushing, Elliott answered: "No, it's not necessary this time, but thank you anyway. While you are still here, would you like to take my script with you?"

"Sure thing! I would love to take a first look until you come over."  
His expression turned into a smile. "If it's okay, I would like to hand the first half out to you. To move on in the following days, the second half would help me", he requested as his hands made rustling sounds in the paper.

"That's no problem at all", Leah ensured to him, "I suppose it will keep me busy for a while."

Elliott's hands remained in their outstretched position after Leah had laid hers on the stack of paper.

"Before you take it with you...you hold my biggest treasure in your hands. My motivation, my purpose, my vocation."  
"I know exactly what you want to say. Without hesitation, I promise to you that I will treat your script carefully and with huge respect. If your doubts are too big, I can come over and read it here."  
"No", Elliott said, took his hands off and smiled even wider. "I trust you. Have fun with it."

"It means a lot to me", she stated with a timid look downwards.

"To me as well. Write down everything you liked, but everything you didn't also. I can't wait until we talk about it. If you would kindly excuse me now..."  
Leah understood his rather obvious hint. "Oh, of course. See you later, I suppose?"

"As soon as Harvey is done with me, I'd like to see you. Do you want me to call you beforehand?"  
"Come over anytime, there's no need to warn me, okay? Bye!"

Her delicate scent filled Elliott's cabin like a gentle breeze. He closed his eyes and indulged in a smell of fresh, clean air and lovely blossoms. With shivers running down his spine and butterflies in his stomach, he changed into fresh clothes. As soon as he felt ready to go, Elliott waited just a moment longer to enjoy.

Then he realized what he just did. The smile on his lips faded when he opened the window as wide as possible.

It was time to stop clinging to wishes that would never come true. Time to refrain from yearning.

Time to get over it.

As much as it hurt, Elliott knew well enough that it was hopeless to wait for Leah to develop any feelings. He could as well move on, for there were enough matters for him to take care of.

 

A quiet sound of clicking scissors filled the dry air of the clinic **.** Apart from that, there was nothing until Harvey raised his voice again.

"The healing proceeded excellently", he stated while he pulled a suture out of Elliott's skin. "Who knew that I would be the one to do this?"

"Not even me. Just like you, I supposed some doctor in my hometown would take care of this. **"** , Elliott answered.

"Your search for a new place to live ended quicker than you imagined, right?"

"It did, luckily. Probably I would have stayed anywhere near the water, if I am being honest. I am rather undemanding."

"Speaking for myself, I like to see our community growing...but you don't look quite motivated", Harvey mentioned.

Several possible answers flew around in Elliott's head, but the doctor couldn't see anything like that. His patient stared at a blank wall so fiercely that Harvey turned around to see if there was something that claimed his attention.

All of a sudden, Elliott asked him: "Do you ever feel nonhuman?"

"Wha...what?", Harvey stammered, "N-No. Nonhuman beings intimidate me, to be honest."

"I'm sorry. In an area where monsters actually exist, it would be smart to use a different wording. Anyway, what I wanted to say, I seem like a social man, but it exhausts me to be like this. I never fit in, no matter how hard I try, because I am always the dreamer, the airhead, the weirdo. That's why I like to be alone, although I usually enjoy being among people. Sometimes I wonder whether I am really that strange, but I don't even try. I am who I am, I don't pretend to be anything else. ...Forget what I just said. It just broke out of me."

"Elliott..." Harvey shook his head and put the scissors aside. "There's no need to be sorry. If you see it that way, why not? What you need are people who take you seriously. In our town there are enough of those, I'm sure. Have you already started making friends?"

"Well, Gunther seems to be someone I could get along with, but I don't know how to interpret his behavior from time to time. ...Or am I just overreacting? Time will show. Willy is very kind and Leah is a precious friend to me even after those few days we know each other."

"See? I understand your concern, but don't overthink it. As soon as you allow people to be in your near, they will gladly accept. It's okay to be alone from time to time because you can't be everyone's friend. Pushing them away makes it difficult. Do what you already do: Be yourself. You're good just the way you are."

With eyes wide open, Elliott stared at Harvey for a while without saying anything.

"Thank you", he then said timidly, "You are completely right. Everything will be fine."  
"It will, trust me! Okay, we're done here. You can do everything you did before, but don't forget that a scar will never be the same as unharmed skin, but at this rate you will barely notice."  
"I could go swimming", Elliott said more to himself than to the doctor.

"You could...?", Harvey mumbled, "But why should you? Wait until it's summer. Anyway, you know that my doors are open for you. Give me a call whenever you feel so bad you can't come over. In a small town like ours, it's no problem to walk over to my patients."

"Forget what I just said. However, thank you for your offer, although I hopefully won't need your help so quickly again."

 

Leah's cottage right next to Cindersap Forest was exactly like Elliott imagined it to be. It smelled like fresh paint and wood. The walls were decorated with paintings of various sceneries, most likely created by herself.

"It's not huge, but enough for me!", she explained, "At least there is enough room to get my cans of paint out of the way if there is somebody coming over. Normally, it's a bit more messy, to be honest. I call it a part of the creative process!"

"Oh, I don't mind at all", Elliott replied. An abstract wooden carving caught his eye. "Is this what you are currently working on? It looks wonderful."

"I paused my work for another painting, but I will continue soon. There's still plenty to do. This is going to be a hugging couple, impossible to recognize right now. While I have been waiting for you, I read three pages of your script, by the way!"

"Seriously?" He blushed immediatly. Although he knew it was his profession, it was something different to show his work to a friend. "...What was your first impression?"

"Zayre is so different from you. Isn't it hard for you to see the world through his eyes?"

"Not at all! It would be pretty shameless if he was just a copy of myself. A protagonist deserves to have his own mind, wishes and opinions. Compare it to parents and their children. Would you like to have a daughter that is exactly like you? I doubt it. You would want her to achieve her own goals. To work out Zayre's personality, I wrote several one-shots before I started my actual work. His look at the world is now somehow relatable to me. ...All of that probably sounds silly. Comparing a main character to a child..."

"No, it sounds understandable! If I was a writer myself, I would certainly have a similar look at my protagonist." Leah went back to the door and picked up a painting that had been standing on the ground right next to it. She said: "This is why I stopped carving. I painted this one for you."

"For me?", Elliott repeated without being able to take his eyes off the grassy hill she had illustrated. A perfectly clear blue sky stretched over the peaceful landscape. To enliven the scenery, Leah added two butterflies in the foreground. They seemed so realistic that Elliott's nose almost started to tickle.

"Are you sure, because I don't think I can accept--"  
"Take it!", she interrupted him, "You deserve it. I started the night you spent at Harvey's clinic."

"But that was literally minutes after we first met."

"See? That's how much you inspire me. There is something about you that sparks a light of motivation in my mind, so I decided to turn it into a gift for you." Leah extended her arms resolutely, accepting no contradiction.  
Their hands touched when Elliott took the frame from her.

A shrill whistle echoed in his ears so clearly that he took a short look around himself. Pelican Town's train station was too far away to create the sound.

Leah noticed the surprised look on his face and wondered: "Huh? Was there something in my touch?"

"About my script...is it possible you read until the point when Zayre's train departs?"  
"How did you know? You said you can't read thoughts."

He laughed happily. "I can't, but I derived it from what I just heard when I touched you: A steam locomotive upon its departure. How exciting to sense this."

After a while of looking into each other's eyes, Leah chuckled as well. "Are we thinking the same right now?"

"Probably. This is going to be interesting, isn't it?"  
"Yes, that was exactly what was just going through my mind", she agreed.

"Well, we have been talking about my work long enough. Wouldn't you like to show me more of yours?"

 

The hours flew as if they were minutes. After Elliott had spent an inspiring day with Leah (and immediatly hung her painting in his home), he hurried to reach the library to read as much as he could until it would be closed.

Gunther owned three books about the merpeople, two of them only had a few chapters as they were works about monsters in general. Not many people ever saw them, even less had reliable information about their race.

The curator quietly approached the table his last guest occupied. With his hands on his temples, he laid more than he sat bent above the book. It looked like Elliott wanted to absorb the text completely into his brain.

"...Did you already find something interesting?", Gunther asked after he watched him for a minute.

"Indeed", Elliott answered and finally raised his head. "It says here that merpeople can feel auras. That's how they avoid to be seen. They normally don't emerge if they can feel somebody in the near of the surface. Furthermore, this answers my biggest question. The merpeople started to watch me when I visited the beach for the first time. I wondered about how they could know. Half-breeds, however, mostly lose this important ability due to their human blood. Whatever _mostly_ means in that case – I can't find a more detailed explanation. At least I found a description of what merpeople look like. Exactly like the one I spotted yesterday, their skin is pale blue, but there are no specific hair or eye colors for merpeople. Special specimen show golden, dark grey or red eyes, more humanoid colors like brown, light grey or blue have been seen also. The height of adult exemplars varies widely. 120 years ago, a marine biologist in the Gotoro Empire found the tallest merman ever seen, a height of 3.10 metres, most likely a royal. Isn't that impressive? Ah...sorry, I probably keep you from working."

"No, you don't. It's 6:30 P.M., there's nothing left to do."

"Oh no, I lost track of time! I'm so sorry, it won't happen again. Why didn't you tell me?"

Gunther smiled. "Why? Because this book obviously consumes you. Don't you want to take it with you?"  
"You would allow?"  
"I know you will treat it well, so why not? Most of the villagers don't even believe in mermaids, magic and everything that comes with it. Those books attract lots of dust. Don't overthink this merpeople business, though. Like Willy already said, it's better if both races stay in their own territories. If our worlds should intertwine, humans would have tail fins instead of legs and vice versa."

"Imagine how half-breeds must feel", Elliott pondered, "One parent with fins and one with legs. They can walk on earth, but are able to transform. Isn't that a strange thought?"

"Yes, and that's exactly why we shouldn't disturb each other. I think it's cruel to create this kind of being."

"It is, I agree. Well, I'll bring this book back soon, time to go now."  
_Time to read the entire book in one go_ , Elliott corrected himself in his mind. 

Time to ignore what Gunther just said.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No way  
> Say I’ll fit in because I live here now  
> It’s alright  
> On this street no one looks at the sky  
> Summer treats  
> No thank you  
> Inside, I looked at you  
> You were there making friends  
> I think so
> 
> Beautiful, now  
> What if our song was forever?  
> Couldn’t we get some?  
> How will it go? Where will we live?  
> Beautiful, now  
> Sing in our sleep  
> There’s no cover  
> What if we get numb  
> Searching for things to discover?
> 
> (Song: "Making Friends" by Mew)


	30. Then he ran

_11th, 12th and 13th November_

_Elliott's cabin_

_Pelican Town, Ferngill Republic_

 

Three days merged into one while Elliott tried to internalize every bit of information like a dry sponge would absorb water.

He most likely would never meet the merpeople, at least it was what he read. The only interaction with humans they allowed was eating them. In every other case, they would flee.

Just like Willy had said before, despite the fact that he had actually talked to some of them without being eaten.

Elliott daydreamed about colorful underwater worlds whenever his thoughts drifted away from the text. If he couldn't see it, he decided to create them some day in his life. A world below the sea level seemed like a wonderful setting for a fantasy book.

When he didn't read, he continued to write his current work. His creativity grew vivid and buoyant, it carried him off to the snowy hills to the only fictitious environment that should matter to him: The one that was supposed to finance Elliott's life someday.

Days like these made him feel like he arrived in heaven. Not the one believers considered, but his own peace and fortune.

Suddenly he thought of his old home. With mixed feelings, Elliott took his phone out of a drawer in his desk and looked up his parents' phone number.

Although he did not plan to dial it again, it felt wrong to possibly delete it. He locked his phone and put it down without changing anything. Instead, he picked up his pen and looked at his biggest solace, his script, for minutes until he actually started to write again.

Somewhen on the third day, he unwillingly grabbed his fishing rod and spent one afternoon at the pier. Compared to the first time, his movements already proceeded more fluently. Without Willy's help, Elliott caught a fish on his own, scaled and gutted it before he cooked it with vegetables.

Finally he granted himself the pomegranate he bought from Pierre as a dessert, just as it was. He enjoyed the crimson seeds one by one, indulged in the tart taste and couldn't avert staining his fingers with the reddish juice.

A quiet moan crawled out of his throat. The last time he had a pomegranate was definitely too long ago.

Getting his hands stained was worth the taste. Normally, Elliott could avoid it, but this time he lost against the allure and acted hastily.

In order to clean his fingers, he left his house once again. An average fall day, cloudy but without any rain, created a quiet atmosphere at the beach. Elliott filled his lungs with fresh crisp air and blinked a few times until his eyes became used to the bright sun.

He wanted to linger in his daydreams of just diving into the ocean. When he strolled towards it, he realized that it would be his first time to actually touch the Gem Sea. Not that it mattered. As soon as summer arrived, Elliott planned to seize the opportunity every day.

The object that devoured him almost every night, captured him, drowned him, harmlessly swirled around the coast in gently soughing waves.

It seemed impossible to him that something so beautiful could scare him in his dreams.

Elliott approached the water and crouched down, far enough to stay dry, close enough to reach it.

He dipped his cupped hands into the Gem Sea.

When he started to shiver, he supposed it was because of the cold. It was almost icy when he rinsed his hands. A distant feeling made him chuckle to himself, as if somebody gently tickled his skin. In the blink of an eye, it grew stronger and turned into an unpleasant sensation. His fingers started to itch. Quicker than he even realized, it spread out over his hands, then his arms until Elliott's entire body felt as if ants were running all over it.

Shocked by the abnormal impression, he took his hands out of the water immediatly. Gently rubbing them against each other, he looked down at the sea with a disturbed face. Never in his life had he experienced anything similar. There would be enough time to think about it in his cabin, but Elliott wanted to get away from the water as fast as he could. Just in case.

The feeling was already fading again when he stepped away. Later in his life, he would often ask himself what exactly caused him to stop and go back.

Something in Elliott, carefully sealed in his subconsciousness until then, awakened with a roar. It took control of his body. At least it was what he supposed when he looked back at this day. He would never consider his following actions with a clear mind.

After half of the way to his cabin, he came to a standstill and turned towards the coastline once again.

Then he ran.

Elliott started to run as if his life depended on it. His lungs felt empty and dry until he dived into the sea and his mind was flooded with happiness.

For a while, he did not know for how long, he quietly floated in the water with closed eyes and enjoyed the weightless state. The itch turned into the faint tickling from the beginning, not unpleasant at all.

Another deep breath filled Elliott's lungs with...

He pressed his hands onto his mouth as he finally realized what was happening. A suppressed cough against his hands made him tremble. With hasty movements, he tried to rise, but he only managed to stop sinking. As the coastline was out of sight already, Elliott started to swim towards the surface.

It was just like in his dreams. His legs felt numb, he couldn't move them anymore. The oppressive panic blinded Elliott more and more. Every attempt to free himself failed, and it became harder and harder to keep his eyes open.

Possibly he fell asleep on his desk once again. Idleness had left its mark on the last three days – he had been awake at night, slept until noon and rarely left his cabin inbetween. Although he hadn't noticed any time skips, it wasn't impossible that he was in a nightmare that felt terribly authentic.

Because his dreams felt so real from time to time, Elliott had prepared methods to check if he was awake, a trick he had learned from lucid dreamers. The fact that he could look at his hands already indicated that he was indeed awake. In his dreams, he was more of a viewer and not able to interfere. His hands still had five fingers each and acted like they were supposed to, but their color was not normal. The skin seemed to be paler. Before he could come to a conclusion, Elliott lost his fight and gave in to his reflex to breathe. Everything blurred out before his eyes while he quietly watched the last bit of oxygen waver out of his lungs towards the surface he yearned for.

Every last bit of power left him. It would have been good to check what happened to his legs, but Elliott did not care anymore.

He turned onto his back, let himself sink deeper and waited until he would finally wake up from his horrid nightmare.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's so much I'd like so say about this chapter, but I don't want to tell too much. Dreams? Reality? We'll see who wakes him up, and where...


	31. Cantea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, when dreams come true, you have to realize that you imagined it to be completely different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The notes at the end of the chapter are very important this time, especially for everyone who checked my tumblr blog at least once.

_??? November_

_Gem Sea, Ferngill Republic_

 

First, he felt an unpleasant pinching. It was not enough to wake him. Elliott lingered in darkness, unaware of his surroundings. As he was about to drift into his sleep again, the pinch became painful, bearable at first. When it came back after a few seconds, the pain was so stinging that it brought him back to his senses in the blink of an eye.

"Ouch! Stop that!", he cried out and sat upright. The reason for his unease was smaller than expected: A crab nibbed Elliott on his tail fin.

He crawled away backwards from the animal, but mostly he tried to escape from himself.

"What on earth is going on here", Elliott whispered. Instead of waking up in his cabin, he had to admit that he had not been sleeping, at least not until he had passed out.

Wherever he was, it was a stony ground somewhere underwater. As strange as it was, Elliott felt fantastic. He could feel fresh energy in every single muscle, as if he could swim for hours.

Once again he looked down on what should have been his feet.

Dark green scales covered the outgrowth. It looked just like in the book he had borrowed from Gunther.

Still aghast, Elliott reached out and slowly stroked the fin, almost scared of the monster he had become. His finger followed the outlines of a few single scales, smooth and also softer than he imagined them to be.

The feeling when he wagged his tail fin was unearthly. As his new reality came crushing down on him, Elliott raised his hands to where his ears once were. According to the pictures in the book, they became a pair of external gills that resembled tiny fins as well, approximately as big as his ears had been.

"How is all of this possible?", he asked himself, as if he would get an answer. He, a half-breed, with one human and one nonhuman parent, had no idea where he got his blood from.

When he just thought he had his explanation, Elliott noticed something in the distance. A faint glowing in a dark crevice caught his attention.

A pair of eyes.

He tried to back away as slowly as somehow possible. Whatever it was would probably leave him alone, but his heart sank when it didn't. It crawled out and was revealed to be a fellow merman, not of the friendly ones. His paper white skin was branded with some sort of tattoos, lines and circles combined in a way that it could resemble scripture.

White fangs flashed up in his mouth.

Behind the potential threat, another one of his kind creeped out of the crevice, younger, but with the same menacing appearance.

They stared right into the eyes of the compatriot they planned to hunt down.

Elliott turned around on the spot and pushed himself away from them with his hands because he had no idea how to use his tail fin yet. He dragged it behind himself like an useless numb appendage. Adrenaline raged in his veins and reduced Elliott's thoughts to one single matter: Surviving. Much to his discomfort, he could hear his hunters behind him. Even worse, they were playing with him. As they had spent their entire lives underwater and their prey didn't even know how to swim, it was impossible they actually needed more than five seconds to get him. Hunting the victim until exhaustion seemed to be the goal in this case.

Elliott frantically tried to find a way out without getting any idea. He tried to get as much oxygen as he could through his gills while he realized how small his chances were.

Tiny, like himself, a grain of salt in those neverending waters.

The rock Elliott had lain on turned into a cliff. Suddenly levitating when the ground ended under his hands made the time stop. Blood rushed in his head so forcefully that he could even hear it. Without a possibility to get used to his new appearance, Elliott, panic-struck, desperately wagged his tail. Further below he saw more cliffs and crevices, a little hope in those dark minutes.

If he was able to hide in there...

...or presumably there were more predators waiting.

No time to think about it. Swimming worked out better than he had imagined, making him much quicker than when he pulled a worthless limb over the ground.

Darkness embraced Elliott when he fled into a chasm. The confined space was almost too narrow for him to get through. Everything became one before his eyes, metre after metre flew by without any goal in sight.

A diabolical laughter behind him scared him even more, still not as much as the next moment when Elliott's escape ended abruptly. Somehow his movement ended from one second to the other.

It took him a second to figure out what happened. Seaweeds wrapped his tail fin, tied him to the ground. He spit out a curse without any shame. Nobody would record his last words. Pulling and dragging were useless. Obviously, Elliott had no choice than to unravel the seaweeds one by one, despite his hands were shaking so heavily he could hardly grab one.

For just one second, he allowed himself to look up to the surface where beams of light broke through, a revelation of the world he wanted to wake up in.

Behind him, the sharp claws of his chaser made scratching sounds on the rocks Elliott was stuck between. The water transferred their movements in soft waves.

"Okay!", he called out and turned around in his last measure. "I cannot flee, but I can at least fight back. Come at me!"

It seemed like the other two merman were mute. They did not say anything, but they showed their deadly fangs as they both grinned widely.

Elliott tried to suppress the horrendous trembling that shook his body. He did not want to appear all that pathetic as a prey.

"Leave at once!", a voice called out.

The scenery froze. Much to his surprise, the two merman remained without attacking him and commenced frowning at somebody behind Elliott.

"Don't you dare to touch him", she (definitely a woman) added. "This is not your territory. I will torture you to death right here if you don't leave immediatly!"

A few more seconds of fear passed until the hunters, still without any words, turned around and swam into the direction they had come from.

Elliott felt the urge to go down on whatever his knees once were. For the first time since he had woken, he was able to have a clear thought.

_Why did I come here?_

Slowly, still trembling, he turned around. The stinging pain of the seaweeds around his tail made him shrug for a moment.

This woman's beauty was different from everything else Elliott had seen until that day. She looked as if she was carved out of a shell. Her hair shimmered like nacre, white in its base but with an unearthly colorful shimmer. It covered her entire back, gently flowing in the dark dephts of the Gem Sea.

In celestial grace, she raised one of her delicate hands, her right one. "Fear not. You are safe now."

Several metres behind her, two mermen followed, but Elliott almost not noticed them next to their leader. The mermaid's skin was so bright that her body seemed to glow. Strangely, all of them were naked, even the woman. It seemed disrespectful to Elliott to even look into her face. On the other hand, she and her companions also had those interesting tattoos on their chests and arms...  
  
She extended her left hand and sent a tiny beam of light out. Elliott shrugged in expectation of being burned. Luckily it did not hurt at all. The seaweed was gone. With a sigh, he wagged his tail. "Thank you very much", he quietly said.

"Say", she proceeded and, much to Elliott's surprise, stared at his light green shirt, "Why is your body covered up that way, and who gives you the right to wear your hair long? You are acting impolite towards the king."

When he was just about to give an answer, one of the attendents raised his voice. Now Elliott finally paid attention to him. He was bald and had a normal skin color compared to who was obviously his boss. The tattoos on his chest were less, the signs smaller, almost inconspicuous.

" _Oyla_! It is the one we spotted at Willy Beach."

 _Willy Beach_ , Elliott repeated in his mind. Did they actually name it after the fisherman...?

"Ah, the _Lomelir_. So you probably don't know about our traditions yet. It is my pleasure to welcome you in Cantea. I am the princess of this realm. My name is Chrysoula."

Elliott nervously swallowed and thought about his answer. Questions flew through his head. He had no idea what a _Lomelir_ was supposed to be, if long hair was forbidden down here, if there were several underwater countries or if he was supposed to bow down to the princess.

"No, do not say anything", Chrysoula said, "Take off that garment. I will teach you the first rule when meeting compatriots: We read our names on each other's skin."

"Does that mean there are tattoos on my skin now as well?", Elliott wondered.

The princess chuckled. "Oh, wait until you see your face", she mumbled to herself.

"Excuse me?"

"Will you please take that off now? I said it is impolite behavior!", she insisted.

Without further contradiction, Elliott unbuttoned his shirt. He felt vulnerable in front of these three merpeople, but obviously everything besides nudity was frowned upon.

Their culture was so strange.

Fascinated by his new appearance, he stared down on himself. Indeed, his chest was covered in lines and circles now. Some parts were dark black, but some passages started to fade already.

"Is this part of my transformation?", Elliott asked.

"It is", Chrysoula answered, "Those letters are part of you as soon as you enter the Gem Sea, as well as your tail. Look, here" She placed the tip of her index finger right on his heart without any shyness. "The most important letters are those in the circle around the heart. Your name, parents and special talents are written here. The more you can see, the higher is the social status. Compare our marks – there is so much more written on my skin compared to yours. That is only natural, I am the king's daughter. But then compare yours to the skin of my guards. There is almost nothing to say about them. To be honest, there is..." Chrysoula hesitated. "Why is there so much scripture on your skin? _Lomelir_ are the lowest level in our society...who are you?"

Her finger followed the line around and hummed: "Human names are so uncommon to me. What am I supposed to call you?"

"Please call me Elliott, your royal highness", he quietly requested.

"Ah-ha. Okay, Elliott, of half-byrolian and half-cantean descent, lay librarian, writer, blah blah...son of...what?" Once again, she frowned. "Son...of...Da...", she murmured.

"If you allow, my father's name is David and..."

"David, you say", Chrysoula murmured.

Elliott, with raised eyebrows, replied: "I would love to talk with you for hours. There is so much I want to know, still I'm afraid I have to leave. The other villagers haven't seen me for days."

Keeping his lineage a secret would probably be difficult. Elliott's heart sank when he started to think about it. Now he considered himself a freak, a monster, something that should not exist. Just like Gunther had said.

More than anything else, he needed somebody to share his mysteries with. Leah was naturally the person he trusted the most.

She would probably visit him soon. As she had told him, she intended to look after him to make sure he wouldn't overdo his writing.

 _How will she react?_ , Elliott thought. _What if she can't find me and asks me where I have been...I must tell her what I am. I don't want to lose her..._

Chrysoula woke Elliott from his daydreams: "Leaving is impossible right now. Our king wants to see you."

"That's no problem at all. I will just come back tomorrow. Would you be so kind and show me the way—"

"Elliott, what did I just say." It was no question. Her eyes, dark blue like the ocean itself, fiercely stared back at his. "Come with us. It won't take long, I promise, and I will answer all of your questions on the way. Also consider the following: How will you avoid to be seen? Of course you could emerge at night, but this won't work forever."

"I..." He swallowed nervously. "I heard your kind is able to read auras, but...I can't, therefore I have no other choice than to wait for the night. Still, I got lost on my way and I need your help to find back home."

The princess, no matter how friendly she seemed to be, obviously lost her patience more and more. "This is the last time I say it before I force you to follow us. Because you probably wondered, the habitat of what you call _merpeople_ , or the entirety of the oceans is Cantea in our ancient tongue. You are of our blood, so I am your princess whenever you transform and you'd better take my orders. We will teach you how to spot auras of any living being. I can read that you are able to feel the nature of human souls through touching hands. Imagine it to be a precursor of what we will teach you. When we are through, you won't need a touch, you will be able to sense the mere presence over long distances. My father can't wait to see you. Trust me, you don't want me to demonstrate my power. Follow me right now or I have no other choice than to make you."

For just the blink of an eye, Elliott considered to flee. It bugged him to admit that Chrysoula was his only chance to learn about his new appearance, his compatriots and a way to find home without being devoured.

And wasn't that exactly what he had yearned for in his last days at home?

"Fine", he finally stated, "Lead me to his majesty, the king. I will obey."

"Very well." Chrysoula nodded with confidence in her expression. "A wise decision. Nevertheless, my guards will stay right next to you. If you suddenly get a bad idea, we'd like to be prepared, don't you think?" As she saw Elliott's concerned frown, she added: "Hey, I know that you are confused right now. You grew up in a different world and I probably seem vicious and mean. Who wouldn't hesitate? As strange as it may seem, it is incredibly important for you to talk to your king. Things will be clearer afterwards, wait and see. Trust me, like I already said, and nobody will harm you. Let's get going now."

She turned around and left him no time to reply.

With the guards to his left and his right and fear in his heart, Elliott followed the princess into the unknown.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you ever visited my tumblr blog (are even a follower? uwu), you have probably seen that I play the new Zelda game more than is healthy for me and that I'm one of those Sidon suckers. Please know that neither Sidon nor Zoras nor Breath of the Wild in general inspired me here. Elliott being half-merman was planned from the beginning. Evidence and hints can be found from early chapters on. (Those will be summarized when Elliott remembers them, next chapter probably.)
> 
> _______________________________
> 
> Pronunciation:  
> Chris-OH-la  
> Can-TAY-ah  
> low-meh-LEAR  
> Oyla explains itself, I suppose. It is a form of address for female specimen.  
> The definition of Lomelir follows in the next chapter as well.
> 
> _______________________________
> 
> Why is long hair frowned upon? Why exactly would the king want to see Elliott if he is obviously considered the lowest level of society? What exactly is written on their skin? And how did all of this even happen? Chapter 32 will probably be loooong. I hope I can upload in time! >//<


	32. The Black Tear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chrysoula tries to help Elliott in his new reality, but as she is still learning, she can't answer all of his questions the way he wants it. He has no other choice than to follow her to the capital city of her underwater realm.

_??? November_

_Gem Sea, Cantea_

 

Endless kilometres of fissured underwater landscapes flew by underneath the fins of Elliott, Chrysoula and her guards who hadn't revealed their names yet.

"If you allow, princess", Elliott started his sentence.

With a look over her shoulder, she chuckled. "You are more polite than you look like. What would you like to know?"

"How does orientation work underwater? Everything looks the same to me."

"How do you navigate on the ground? How do you know where you are walking? Does that answer your question? Nothing looks the same around here. I will rule our kingdom some day. There is still much I have to learn, but it is essential to know my realm, don't you think?"

"I suppose my question was unwise. I'm sorry."

Chrysoula's hair created soft shimmering waves of nacre while she swam ahead. Her light orange tail showed a distant sparkling.

Without daring to ask, Elliott wondered what the rest of the royal family looked like.

"No need to worry", she replied, "Who knew how I would react if I left the water."

"Have you never been out of the sea? I heard members of the royal family can transform despite being nonhuman."

The princess explained: "That is indeed true, but we avoid it. We live in the sea, die in it and are buried in it. Only a few of us did ever breathe air. Because you probably still wonder what a _Lomelir_ is...the meaning is connected to our current topic."

"Does it mean _half-breed_?", Elliott wanted to know.

"Almost. The literal translation is  _ son of the traitor _ . Because only those of holy blood can transform, they are supposed to stay with their people. They are needed the most. This is why I would never come into your world. Whoever does it is considered a traitor. The worst possible case is if children of our people and humans are conceived. Just like you. I'm sorry to say that, but you will be treated like a liar, adulterer or a person with an  infectious disease.”

“Why?”, he hissed angrier than he wanted to sound. In assumption of a tantrum, the guards already flinched.

“It's okay”, Chrysoula appeased them.

“I did not do anything wrong!”, Elliott insisted.

“I am not the one who came up with our society's rules. You are only going to visit us occassionally, I suppose? That way you will hardly notice.”  
“Can they read it in those letters as well? At least you told me my parents' names are written there. Does it say that I'm a _Lomelir_?”

First without giving an answer, the princess took out a tiny shell out of a braid in her hair and handed it over to Elliott.

“It's a mirror. Take a look.”

“What am I supposed to see”, he started his sentence, but stopped when he glimpsed his face in the tiny shell, only half as long as his fingers.

A black tear disfigured his left cheek. Impossible to oversee it, no way that Elliott could hide it.

“To answer your question”, Chrysoula explained, “Yes, we can see it, even from the distance. This tear is the unmistakable sign that shows us what you are.”

“That's...horrible. It disappears when my legs grow back, yes?” Sudden panic overcame him. If this would stay, how would he explain...

“It will fade away outside of the water as well as the rest of the black. If you did not know yet, purebred Canteans like me keep their markings even if we develop feet. It's one of the major differences between us.”

Her words echoed in Elliott's head for a while. In this case, one of his parents (and Elliott highly suspected his father) must have had black markings and letters on their skin which definitely wasn't the case. He had seen them naked often enough.

_Am I possibly adopted, after all?_ The thought struck him like lightning. Was that the reason why he never felt like one of them?

Elliott had seen his ( _adoptive_ ) mother inside of the water more than once. His father, however, never joined them, even in the nicest weather. Whatever happened, he stayed at the beach and watched them.

A strange behavior, especially when Elliott considered that his purebred compatriots would transform in every ocean. He himself would only develop his tail fin in the Gem Sea because his parent obviously was born inside of it.

Still, David's skin did not show any foreign letters as well.

“This doesn't link together at all”, Elliott murmured to himself.

The princess heard his concern and ensured: “Our king will be able to answer a lot of your questions. We are almost there.”

“There is one last important thing I have to ask. Is it possible to be turned into a human permanently? Or maybe just to lose the markings, even as a purebred?”

Chrysoula took her time to thoroughly think of an answer. In the end, she replied: “I do not know. I apologize. If it is possible, I am certain that black magic is the only way. Of course that would be foolish. Black magic is life-threatening to anybody who is bold enough to try it, so I'd rather say no. When we are done with the audience, I will talk to a scholar and get a second point of view. Please do not rely on my thought too much.”

"A prudent move, your royal highness."

"Well, you know how to behave yourself, therefore I am willing to help you. I understand your situation. Because you obviously are a good man, I will grant you even bigger help. My father might not be the king you imagine. I shall tell you what awaits you."

Elliott lowered his head although he swam behind the princess, impossible for her to see. "You have my deepest gratitude."

"It is appreciated. See, he is the definition of a violent temper. Our king is hot-headed and quickly enraged. Also, he is a giant, almost double your height, and his fangs might not seem trustworthy as well."  
"Double my height?!", Elliott repeated in shock, "I am much taller than the average human. He must be a beast."

"How do I put it? He is indeed more beast-like than me", Chrysoula approved. "And he is brutal. His moves are risky. Our population decreased since there was an oil spill decades ago. There are ninety residents in our capital city. Whoever commits crimes will be thrown out or killed immediatly, depends on the crime itself. Even _Lomelirs_ wouldn't be allowed to live right next to us, but due to...certain circumstances, he let a handful in. Nobody talks to them, but at least they are safe."

Although her thoughtful hesitation already indicated that she wouldn't tell, Elliott still asked: "Which circumstances could that be?"

"Our king's biggest weakness. As soon as you talk to him, you will find out yourself."

"At least I have to agree. It is quite audacious to allow only those of the best blood within your borders, am I right?"

"I hate to say it, but you are right. My people are dying out here because they maybe once robbed somebody. Still, my influence as a princess is limited and my father won't let them in although our number is still decreasing. Whatever, we are drifting away from our topic. What I wanted to say: You seem polite towards me, but don't lose your head towards the king. I mean it, Elliott." Chrysoula gave him a stern look over her shoulder and accentuated every word when she added: "Mark my words. Watch your language."

For just one moment, he pondered whether to ask her if her father could be that intimidating, but he decided that silence would be the wiser choice in this particular case.

"I will. Thank you for your advice."

"You're welcome. The king can boil you right on the spot and I'm not even making that up. Your pure existence will make him consider this option. Don't panic! He won't do it – as long as you mind your words! It is possible that he says horrible things that will hurt you personally. He will curse your blood and your ancestors. Don't let yourself be affected. Later, when he is done with spitting out all of his anger, he will explain. Maybe you will understand. Probably not. No matter if you do, it is important that the two of you meet."

"I am eager to meet him, though I cannot deny that your explanations make me nervous as well..."

All of a sudden, the princess raised her hand and slowly stopped her movements.

"We have arrived at the town gates of Rahi, the capital city of Cantea."

What Chrysoula called a city was nothing more than a gigantic crater to Elliott's eyes. He could see a solemn expression when he looked over her shoulder, her eyes pointed directly into the hollow space. It was huge, at least an entire kilometre wide and lied far below their fins.

"You wonder what I am talking about?", she replied to his confused face. "This is a wonder created by magic. A masterpiece, the perfect illusion. The city lies beneath an invisible dome. At every time, scholars keep this barrier up with their incomparable power. Before you can enter, I shall go and announce to his majesty who I just found. Certainly he will accept to meet you immediatly. Afterwards, I will come back and lead you inside."

"You are able to hide an entire city beneath an invisible dome?", Elliott asked in awe, "That's unbelievable. How could that be possible?"

"Wait until you see Rahi itself! Unfortunately, it is rather deserted. Like I already told you, the king is striving for the perfect civilization without sinners. Anyway, my guards will be watching you. I don't hope you suddenly rethink your demeanor. If so, they will hunt you down within seconds. Prove that you don't just say empty phrases to get my mercy."  
He ensured to her: "I won't try to run away."

"Very well. At least I'll try to make this as quick as possible. See you later."

With one last look into Elliott's eyes, the princess turned around in a fluent movement and swam into the crater. He watched her go, until she suddenly disappeared without a sound, as if she never existed.

If Chrysoula's guards wouldn't have been there, Elliott would probably believe that he had actually been dreaming.

 


	33. The Traitor's Son

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliott finally gets to meet his king.

_??? November_

_Town gates of Rahi, Cantea_

 

Chrysoula's guards hadn't been quite talkative. Instead, they were busy enough when they kept an eye on Elliott, who didn't intend to escape at all. He had asked them how to read their names, but they denied as their names were none of his business in their opinion.

In the end, the three of them waited silently for their superior to come back. The situation was rather uncomfortable for Elliott. He felt the escorts' eyes on his body whenever he dared to move even in the slightest.

After a time that felt like at least an hour, he could finally spot a faintly shimmering silhouette down below.

"Sorry, it took me a bit. My father couldn't believe me. I had a hard time convincing him that you are here", the princess proclaimed.

"Well, let's just prove it, I suppose?", Elliott replied.

"That's what I said over and over again. We shouldn't lose more time, he waits for us now. Before I take you in, there are some more rules you need to follow. The first one is: Lower your head on our way to the castle. Probably you'd like to marvel at our architecture, but as long as the king didn't allow you to stay, you may not do so."

"Is there a possibility that he kicks me out of the town again?"

Chrysoula chuckled to his concerned frown and explained: "Even if he tries, I won't allow it as long as you behaved. Until now, you did not harm anyone. It's another story if you insult or attack somebody. The second rule: Do not say a word, even if somebody asks you. I alone may permit you to speak. Otherwise, I will answer for you. Until we enter the throne room, I want you to demonstrate nothing more than reverent silence. Normally I wouldn't be so strict, but your hair shows disrespect towards our people, that's why you have to act even more modest."

Elliott answered: "By the way, would you kindly explain what is wrong about my hair? I intended to ask you from the beginning."

"Of course. Only royalty may grow long hair in our society. Every hairstyle that covers your shoulders or more is an insult to my family. It expresses a supreme beauty and grace you are not allowed to obtain. However, the king will probably make an exception in your case. We will allow you within our borders despite your look."

"All of this reminds me of the caste system more and more."  
"Whatever that is", Chrysoula said and shrugged her shoulders. "Take my hand now and stay behind me. You won't even notice when we go through the barrier."

Her hands seemed so delicate, her fingers so slim that Elliott feared to break her bones if he just stared at her for too long. As carefully as he could, he took one of her hands into his.

Suddenly, a tremendous weight pressed his shoulders downwards. The unexpected burden made him exhale the entire water in his lungs at once.

When he, completely confused, tried to find out where it came from, there was nothing there.

It was all in Chrysoula's touch.

Apparently, the burden she had to carry all day was gigantic.

Elliott noticed her frown, as if she knew what he had been feeling. Without any further comment, she turned around and started to pull Elliott closer to the crater. Deeper and deeper they dived until a city popped up right before his eyes. He blinked a few times to be sure, but it was there. The water smelled different under the dome, better, cleaner. The city itself, however, had certainly seen better days in the past. What leaped into Elliott's eyes first were the entrance doors of the houses, even from the distance. They were as high as the houses themselves and looked newer than the walls right next to them. Possibly the king had them be retrofitted when he took over the reign. It looked as if he wanted to be able to visit every inhabitant, even if he was indeed a giant.

Then, the castle in the center caught Elliott's attention. Built in a style similar to what humans called gothic, its slim towers and high windows made it look elegant, but unfitting for a rough ruler. What made it even more astonishing was the mosaic in the windows, partially covered in pure nacre.

Before Elliott could grasp more details, Chrysoula murmured to him: "Enough staring now. Down with your head."

They gently landed on the town square right in front of the castle. Cobblestones replaced the wonderful view. Surprisingly, the street was not plane at all. It was decorated with shells and corals of all sizes. Probably the citizens didn't need an even ground because they were swimming anyway. Maybe there was a pattern in the ornaments to help the blind find their way. Elliott carefully tapped the ground with his fin while he followed the princess. His theory seemed plausible to him.

A male voice called out to the princess in their tongue. As she had ordered, Elliott kept his head down and even turned it away from the man who approached them in this moment. The stranger's voice sounded joyful, Chrysoula however answered in a grave tone, if not even annoyed.

Elliott flinched. Water had the ability to transfer movements and made him feel a hand reaching out for him before it actually touched his shoulder.

"Don't you dare touching him!", Chrysoula hissed, "He is a man, by the way, obviously more honorable than you. Put your hands back where they belong and open the gate!"

"But why won't **you** talk to me?", the voice mumbled, so close to Elliott that it made him extremely uncomfortable.

"Leave at once! Take your filthy mouth away from him or you will regret it."

He whispered something incomprehensible until he wavered away. In the corner of his eye, Elliott could see the red tail fin for a moment.

"Don't take it seriously. He's quite a blobfish", the princess ensured to him.

He did not know what _blobfish_ was supposed to mean in this context, but he wasn't allowed to talk anyway, so he just nodded silently.

With a deep rumbling sound, the castle gate was opened right in front of them.

Colorful coral bushes decorated the inner courtyard, but that was everything Elliott dared to grasp in his surroundings. A prickling feeling in his back made him shiver. Certainly the escorts observed him – the two who followed him anyway and even more who guarded the castle.

Chrysoula turned her tiny hand into a fist. Elliott could feel it in his grip. She explained: "Our castle's design is rather straightforward. As soon as we're inside, the throne room is at the other end of the hallway."

He could already hear another heavy door that was opened for them. Everything happened so quickly. Wasn't he just drowning somehow, like a minute ago?

Pure anticipation made his heart jump inside of his chest. A revealing conversation was just a minute ahead, if Chrysoula didn't just throw empty phrases to lure Elliott into their capital city.

The king of all underwater species, a violent monstrosity and yet father of such tender beauty.

If this wasn't going to be interesting.

Elliott almost bumped into the princess when she suddenly stopped her movement.

"Raise your head", she said, "We are right in front of the throne room. Servant, bring me my crown."

"Right away", a quiet voice answered. Blue was obviously the favorite color among underwater dwellers, Elliott realized after a quick check of his surroundings. The light yellow bricks of the hallway were painted with depictions of waves in fascinatingly bright shades of blue. In the middle of the path, he could see more shells attached to the ground, this time in a line that lead directly to the door.

A servant, bald like the others Elliott had seen until then, fetched a delicate silver crown that resembled a laurel wreath with tiny corals instead of leaves. With a careful movement, he placed it on Chrysoula's head. She nodded at Elliott and he saw that a light pink Starfish was also part of her crown. It adorned her forehead and suddenly she stood even more upright, her chin held higher than before. Pride was almost written across her skin, that was how satisfied she seemed. Clearly her position was an enormous honor to the princess.

"We will go in now", she proclaimed, "I will lead you to your place and introduce you to each other. Then you are on your own." After a few seconds, as if she had to think of the right words, she added:

"Best of luck."

Chrysoula opened the gigantic door by pushing her entire body against it.

An impressive room unfolded itself before Elliott's eyes: A golden rib vault ceiling spanned the spacious throne room and its high mosaic windows he had already seen from the outside. As before, small shells covered the floor, they seemed to be either important or the people only liked the design. Each and every one of them had been painted with golden color as well. The floor underneath was made of finest white marble.

It could have been a room that displayed taste, dignity and wealth.

At the end of the room, the king tore a hole into the atmosphere.

As Chrysoula already had warned Elliott, her father was a monster that looked like a huge sea snake at the first look. His dark red tail fin was unproportionally long, longer than Elliott's entire body. With his broad shoulders and massive arms, he seemed like he could crush skulls by just slightly poking them. There were so many signs and letters on his torso that not much of his slightly tanned skin was visible.

Elliott shrug when he looked directly into the king's fiery red eyes.

Although there was a throne behind him, he was too big to fit inside. Instead, he had been waiting on the podium in front of the throne in a half-sitting, half-lying position. The giant rose, his black mane floated weightlessly around him but still reached the ground because it was so incredibly long.

It took Elliott a few more looks to notice a woman at his side. Her striking resemblance to the princess indicated that she was the queen, but she almost disappeared next to her husband, not only because of her normal height. She seemed almost shy and put her magnificent sapphire crown into the right place. With such voluminous long curls like hers, it would almost be possible to hide herself under it. It was snow white, but lacked the nacre-like shimmer.

The king's face (which was far less ugly and monstrous than Elliott had imagined it to be) showed incredulity. When he opened his mouth, sparkling white fangs glistened up.

"This is him?", he growled more to himself than to his guest. "This piece of..."

Chrysoula shouted an overdone "Ahem!" to remind him of his duty.

Elliott's pulse went flying. He had heard the king's voice before, many times in his life already.

"Elliott", the princess proceeded in a solemn tone, "You face King Llyr of Cantea, son of Cyreus, bearer of holy power, the relentless ruler, savior of his race." After a short, but important pause, she went on: "Furthermore I introduce you to Queen Torlan of Cantea, daughter of Morim, the dignified wife of our beloved king. Bow down."  
He lost no time to do so and heard his blood rushing through his head when he bowed to them.

The princess ordered him to rise so she could read the letters on his chest.

"Father, mother, I give to you: Elliott, son of Daveth, a _Lomelir_ of half-byrolian and half-cantean descent, raised by humans, blessed with supernatural resistance to magic and the ennobling skill to read feelings. A passionate writer, born in the city of Agison."

"Come to me, my daughter", Llyr invited her.

She left Elliott alone and swam upwards, where her parents waited. Much to his surprise, she snuggled up in a meander of her father's tail fin. Chrysoula looked like a porcelain doll that somehow landed in the wrong place, so small and fragile in his grip.

"So, Elliott", Llyr started. The syllables rolled over his pointed tongue one by one, as if he tried to pronounce the name right.

"Greetings, your majesty", he replied.

"Yes, yes. Welcome to my kingdom...although I never thought I would welcome you here", the king added with an annoyed undertone.

"Why is that so?", Elliott wondered.

"You." His voice sounded like something one would expect to hear out of a creepy crevice in the deepest sea: Grating and heavy he dragged his voice through the cathedral-like room. "My daughter introduced you as the son of Daveth. I have some questions regarding your bloodline."

"Actually, his name is David."

"David?", Llyr repeated with an ominous tone, "This is what he calls himself now? Oh, this worthless airhead. What is he doing? Did he raise you? Is he alive?"

"If we are talking about the same person, it means that he is alive, yes...he raised me together with his wife, my mother, whose name is Sofia."

"I should have known!" The king shouted a foreign word that probably was an awful swear word, at least his wife and his daughter raised their eyebrows while both of them seemed to shrink a bit.

Llyr proceeded: "All of us mourned his death for years, and what does he do? He deceives us for a lifetime, finds himself some bimbo and creates a weakling like you? Daveth is the biggest of all traitors. We needed him here!"

"But, majesty", Elliott tried to contradict, "Aren't you happy to hear that he's alive, although you thought he died?"

Obviously, his question was not his brightest idea because it made the king yell even louder. "Are you out of your mind? Since he was young, Daveth was a weak character. He tried to manipulate and use his compatriots for his own good to compensate his lacking physical strength even as a kid. Still, his purpose was noble and important to our people. We sent him away when a catastrophe loomed nearer and expected him to come back when the danger is over. Why should I be happy now? Can you give me one reason?"

For a few seconds, Elliott was so shocked that he couldn't make any clear thoughts.

"Well...maybe", he stammered, "He...I mean, you...ah..."

"I can't hear you", Llyr growled.

"...Maybe he has a family down here, which would mean, possibly some of my relatives are still living down here? If I understood it right, he left all alone, or did you ever hear of Blaine and Bethan? Until now, I supposed them to be my grandparents."

The king shook his head. "No, I never heard those names, and we sent Daveth away without his parents."

"So it could really mean that his real family is still here? That would be a reason to be happy, right? Wouldn't they be glad to hear it?"

Against Elliott's expectation, Llyr remained silent. His concerned face was answer enough. Despite his unnaturally red eyes, Elliott had seen the king's eyes on every single day in his life.

And he started to realize.

"Sit down", Llyr ordered, "I will tell you the entire story from the beginning on."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Revealing chapter ahead!  
> Furthermore, I don't want to overstretch Elliott's underwater time. It's a Stardew Valley fic, after all. It won't take long until he goes back into his more or less normal life.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> 
> To everyone who kindly follows: The next upload will be delaying because I'm moving into my new apartment on the weekend. My WIFI will be installed a few days later. Sorry! Thank you for waiting and reading!


	34. The Burden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me and the weekly uploads are back. Thank you for your patience.

"I remember Daveth as if he left yesterday", Llyr grunted.

"You are related to each other", Elliott observed.

"Yes, unfortunately, we are. I am ashamed, but...tell me, how did you know?"

Elliott was surprised about the question, for it was completely clear to him. Llyr's eyes were older than his and they had probably seen horrible things, but they were completely the same. The king's jawline was more edged, his nose longer, still it was impossible to deny that Elliott's eyes almost seemed to be copied out of his face.

He explained: "I inherited my eyes from you, your majesty. In addition, I would never forget your voice. It is very similar to my father's tone."

"Is that so..."

While he waited for the king to start, Elliott carefully touched of one golden shells on the ground right in front of him, just to glimpse Llyr afterwards. If he wasn't able to see the similarity, maybe, just maybe, those clams made him able to orientate his movements.

Finally, Llyr raised his voice again: "This filthy traitor you call your father, no matter how much I hate to say it, is my older brother and our former crown prince. We scorn humanity because they pollute our home, poison our food and relentlessly kill what we need to survive, just like they did on that fateful day forty years ago. Did you hear about the oil spill?"

"My neighbor told me about it, yes."

"It happened right above our capital city. The consequences were horrifying. Our people died, dozens a day. Many became sick and whoever survived still has health issues to the present day. Mine and Daveth's father, King Cyreus, and his wife Queen Mairan, did not stay unaffected as well. They needed a plan to save the upcoming generation. Escaping was impossible for them, they were rulers after all. How could they leave in this dire situation? I was seven years old, Daveth was nine. Nonetheless, I was the one who tolerated the polluted water better than he did. He fell ill and was probably on the brink of death. In deepest despair, our parents decided to send him to the world outside of the water. His chances to survive would slightly rise, but were still small. He was ordered to come back in order to rule our country, if he overcame the circumstances." The king scornfully hissed: "Well, obviously Daveth overcame it pretty great if he was able to impregnate a woman!"

"He was just a child though", Elliott wondered, "Still you sent him away all alone?"  
"Of course not, idiot. His maid who also happened to be a skilled fighter was sent as his escort, too. Her blood was noble enough so she could guard him outside of the water as well. What was her name again? Talina...?"

"Was it possibly Talida?"

"Yes, exactly! How did you know?", Llyr called out.

Somehow Elliott realized that the more the king explained, the more questions grew in his head. Still he answered: "She is alive as well. A few years ago, she started to work as a housemaid in our...humble home."

"Where has she been in the meantime?"

"I have no idea. My bloodline was a well-kept secret; nobody would have told me, but please do proceed."

The king raised his head and filled the entire hall with his powerful voice without any effort. "Sending his sons away was undoubtedly hard for King Cyreus, but which choice did he have? I can clearly remember when I asked him:  _ If leaving Cantea is forbidden, why are we able to transform in the first place?  _ That's when he understood. We are not supposed to leave the water, but we could take advantage of our abilities when times were hard. So Daveth was sent away, but the price I had to pay was high. In case he wouldn't return, I was sent into isolation with my mentor. Nobody knew how much time there was left for our parents. I had to prepare for my possible role as the new king. Ten long years passed. At age seventeen, I returned to see Rahi in ruins, deserted. My parents had passed away long ago. My people had mostly starved because the fish swarms had died as well. Twenty residents lived here when I came back. Daveth was still missing. Nobody was leading the pack, but finally I was there.  Out of necessity, I found myself the finest woman of those few that still lived or had been born in the meantime, in Torlan's case. She was my choice and I married her immediatly. With the power I gained in the exile, I created a dome over the city in order to protect us all. Shortly after,  we created the greatest treasure a king could wish for.” He dragged Chrysoula closer with his tail and commenced stroking her head. It almost disappeared in his gigantic clawed mauler.

“Jewelry is nice to have, power is essential for a ruler, but nothing beats a smile of my precious daughter.” For a few seconds, Llyr's face turned almost a bit soft, still far away from a smile, but less likely to throw a tantrum.

His hateful expression returned immediatly. “It could have been over then, but it wasn't that easy. A king who just arrived in adulthood with his wife who is still years away from that cannot move anything. I was still weak, much too weak. Time was still working against us. I needed to become stronger before we went extinct. When Chrysoula was two years old, I fled into isolation once again. How much I hated it...but it worked.  In conclusion, I learned how to extend my aura in a way underwater dwellers from all around the country could feel it. They understood our dire need for help and followed my call. This way I could establish new populations of various species in this area. Finally I returned, just to take my ten year old daughter with me. Her sacred magic was the last thing our people needed to grow into the lively society it once was. With her cleansing power, Chrysoula erased any pollution under this dome. Until then, Torlan proved herself to be a strong and righteous queen. What do you think, why am I telling you all of this?”

Elliott swallowed louder than he intended. He stared deeply into the eyes of his family members who had to grow up much too quickly. “Because this was supposed to be my father's task”, he replied huskily.

“Right!”, the king furiously yelled at him, “Your good-for-nothing father and additionally, you, if he had returned and created you with an actually worthy woman. Daveth let down his honor, his bloodline and everyone who relied on him. Instead, I was the one who suddenly had to grow up in isolation. It wouldn't be that bad, but I will never forgive this maggot what he did to my daughter. It was Daveth's task to take **you** into the deepest sea and **you** were supposed to make a plan on how to save us all. Look at Chrysoula and try to imagine what she went through. What does a child need? Friends, an intact family, school, time for themselves? Your father took it all away from my child because he is the biggest coward over and under the sea. I hate him with all my heart and to answer your initial question: No, his family is not glad to hear he's alive.”

"None of this is my fault", Elliott tried to defend himself, but the king didn't allow it.

"Is that so?!", he interrupted him, "Are you implying that it's my daughter's fault? Or why is she the one who paid the highest price for your father's crimes?"

"That's not what I meant to--"

"And there's more you should consider", Llyr went on, "We do not know if Daveth somehow in his life maybe thought about returning to us. Even if he is incredibly dishonorable. What if he just stayed on the surface for you? You are his son, after all. Don't you think that maybe you are the one who kept him in his life?"

It took Elliott a few moments to regain his restraint. His nervousness grew as the king's voice became louder and louder. Patience was seemingly not his strong point.

With huge effort, Elliott could answer without the slightest trembling in his voice. "That is very unlikely, your majesty. We don't talk to each other anymore and we never got along very well. If something kept my father in his world, it was money."

"Money", the king murmured to himself, leaned back and commenced staring at the ceiling. "It's not even surprising that Daveth falls for something as worthless as money."

"I never heard of a king who would consider money worthless", Elliott wondered.

"We don't have any. Trading and sharing is everything we need, it works just fine. Me, Torlan and Chrysoula could take whatever we wanted, but we don't need anything. The only money in our city are some coins found in sunken wrecks. Whoever likes them keeps a few as souvenirs. Hmm...you seem aflutter."

"Well, who wouldn't be in a situation like this. Everything is a bit overwhelming right now. I'm starting to comprehend matters I wasn't able to grasp for my entire life."

"There is something I'd like to show you. Come to me", the king ordered.

"To...you?", Elliott nervously repeated. "Are you sure--"

"Yes!", he insisted without any patience. "Get moving. I don't have time forever."

Still shy, Elliott approached the podium. Stairs surely had proven themselves to be useless underwater. Instead, a smooth curvature of marble lead up to the throne.

What would have been better than waking up in his cozy bed in this moment? Elliott's heart wanted to jump out of his chest when Llyr seemed to grow more and more. What he had read in Gunther's book about a specimen with a body longer than three metres seemed pathetic to this underwater beast.

Out of nowhere, one of the king's hands came dashing through the water and brutally grabbed Elliott's arm.

"I told you to get moving!", he growled and pulled his nephew up to him. Elliott's entire view was filled with the gigantic face of his king, his arm hurt under his forceful grip.

"Oh, I can almost taste it..." Llyr's whisper was the kind that let blood freeze in the veins. Goosebumps tickled Elliott's skin, but not the good kind of goosebumps. He felt helpless, just like in his nightmares, when similar beasts devoured him.

"Your fear...if that isn't uplifting." He felt Elliott flinching when Llyr raised his other hand.

"Don't worry", he murmured and examined the length of his nephew's hair. The thick strands slid through his fingers and turned Llyr's smirk into an expression of disapproval.

"Chrysoula was supposed to cut your hair, but as you most likely won't move into our city, we can leave it that way, even though I don't like the thought. What a shame for our ancestors. Parents like yours are one of the reasons why our number decreases more and more."

"Allow me a question", Elliott said as calmly as he could, "What if a _Lomelir_ and a pure-bred conceive children?"

"That doesn't erase the mistakes from the past", Llyr hissed against his gills, "And it doesn't restore your family's honor. We don't care if you marry one of us or a human. You are a _Lomelir_ and nothing could ever change that. Your choice, however, should be permanent, because your children won't be able to transform in any way. Whatever, don't change the topic. I said there was something I want to show you. You can glimpse the inner eye, is that right? Which kind of touch do you need in order to activate your blessing?"

"It only works if I touch another person's hand with my own", Elliott explained and could already guess what would happen next. As expected, the king grabbed his hands with unneeded brutality.

Elliott waited for any impression, the hint of a picture, a feeling he could detect or the heavy burden he had already felt.

"Naturally, you are nervous now", the king replied, "I am suppressing anything you could see. A human could never hide anything from you, but a human with pure blood could never learn this ability anyway. It is connected to the royal family of Cantea. Therefore, I own it as well, but I can do it a hundred times better than you. Through our hands, I can show you whatever is on my mind. You can read my thoughts, but only those I want you to see."

It took Elliott a while to find his courage again. Hands that did not present the tiniest bit of information about their owners' mind left him speechless. He tried to concentrate on what he felt: only the king's skin (it almost felt scaly) and his firm grasp and nothing more.

Just what normal people would feel.

From the little distance, he could see that even Llyr's pupils weren't normal. He owned the elongated pupils of a predator.

Without being asked, he suddenly explained: "The darkness turned me into what I am now. I do not look like a hunter, I am one. Our species can adapt very well, depending on our surroundings. Let us spend five minutes in open water, just you and me, and understand what kind of ruler I am."

"Are you inviting me to..." Elliott couldn't finish his sentence. Through the connection of their hands, impressions flickered into his nerves, hesitant at first before they jumped into his body like lightning. It laid a dark curtain over his eyesight.

He tried to meet the king's eyes, blinked a few times, shook his head and gasped for air. Or water?

"I can't see", Elliott panted, "What are you doing to me?"

"You will understand as soon as I'm done with you. I grant you a gift, but only if you endure what I am trying to show you", was the only answer he received.

Escaping was impossible – the grip around Elliott's hands was so tight that the blood flow was already reduced.

Whether he liked it or not, he would see what he was supposed to see.

 


	35. Down in the Abyss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first impression isn't always right. Elliott is taught several lessons he won't forget so quickly.

"What do you see?"

Elliott turned his head, looked up and down, blinked and repeated.

"Nothing", he answered.

A quiet voice interrupted them. Strangely, it sounded as if it was coming from the other end of the room.

"Father, maybe you shouldn't..."

"Don't you dare", the king stopped her. "Back to you, Elliott. What do you feel?"

The darkness around him was unearthly. Elliott had experienced different kinds of darkness. Naturally, sitting at his desk at night was something completely different compared to a camping trip in a deep forest, but this blackness was a whole new level.

"I feel testy somehow", he explained while he looked for more words he could use. "Nervous, vulnerable. Would it be strange if I said I feel naked? Exposed? What is it you want to hear?"

"There's nothing particular I'd like to hear", Llyr said, "If you feel that way..."

An unpleasant feeling pinched Elliott's neck. He turned his head, but still nothing could be seen.

"Somebody is watching us. I can feel it."

The king observed: "I suppose this is your smallest problem right now. Over here!"

"Where?", Elliott wondered and turned his head back to the throne, just to observe a dim light in his view. He watched it with growing interest, but it was hard to tell how big it was, given the fact he had no reference point to compare it with.

Its light grew slightly stronger and made it possible to guess a tiny bit of its surroundings. Obviously it was situated right next to a rock wall. To the other side, Elliott could make out a grotesque face with a huge mouth and an unproportionally small eye. The source of light was connected to its forehead.

"Isn't that...isn't that an anglerfish...? I have read about them. But it's so small, it couldn't possibly be a danger, right?"

No answer was given, so he insisted: "Will you answer me? ...Your majesty?"

He was left in silence.

Elliott felt like he was in a dream, and obviously it was something similar because he was in a simulation, created by Llyr's imagination. That way, he was able to move, although he had no idea whether his physical body was moving as well or not. Just to be sure, he swam away from the anglerfish into complete darkness, slowly, because he still wasn't able to see anything.

His head hit a rock. With growing anger, Elliott rubbed his head and tried to find a way out. Obviously, he was in a crevice once again, but so much deeper than the last time. It seemed to be more of an narrow abyss. Although he wasn't prone to claustrophobia, complete blackness somewhere in the sea could make him nervous. He remembered those monsters who tried to catch him shortly after he had transformed.

As a person who was easily scared, Elliott let himself be consumed by his fear in the first few minutes. He sank down deeper into the abyss while he tried to find a ledge to grab because his fin felt too weak to use. The water suddenly seemed to lack oxygen. There he hung, unable to move, caught in his paralyzing fear, with shaking hands.

Elliott opened his eyes wide and understood.

Nobody would help him if he didn't do it himself. His fear was unproportionate and useless. Furthermore, it was only what the king wanted him to see. What if he wouldn't let him have it that way?

He let go of the rock and turned into the emptiness.

"You try to show me what you experienced when you were younger", Elliott said, unsure if he was heard. "You have been down here and it was a thousand times crueler than I am witnessing it right now. Still, I think there is something you have forgotten. Didn't you say you had your mentor with you? That's not quite fair, if you ask me--"

He stopped his sentence when a disgusting taste hit his tongue all of a sudden. At first, Elliott thought he breathed it in and he quickly covered his mouth with both hands. It didn't fade away.

A repugnant metallic taste made him cough and almost gag when he desperately tried to get rid of it.

Although he had tasted it many times already, it had never been that overwhelming.

In addition, it had always been his own blood.

Elliott smelled his hands. They were covered in blood also. He couldn't see it, but the smell made him want to be buried alive.

"You ate your mentor?", he yelled out, "Was that your only chance to survive down here? Why are you showing me all of this? Okay, I have now understood how terrible all of this is. We both know that it's still far away from anything I can imagine. King Llyr, wouldn't this be a good moment to get me out of here?"

Still nothing.

"The burden on your shoulders", he added, "And on your wife's and on your daughter's shoulders. I know it makes you bitter and morose because your...no, **our** race is still suffering and will take decades to recover. It's not up to me to judge anybody. Still I know that none of us is guilty. All of us have been born into this scenario. Please stop being mad at me. Be mad at your brother all you want, but I am just the product of his mistakes."

He seriously started to wonder how he could get out of the scenery. When Elliott moved his hands, his physical body did not move, and if so, not enough to disturb the connection to the king. Without any ideas left, he just waited. This time, he was calm. Nothing could happen, he supposed, it wasn't real after all.

When Chrysoula had warned him about the king, she had mentioned her father's biggest weakness without saying what it could be. _As soon as you talk to him, you will find out yourself_ , she had said. If there was a possibility to use it against Llyr himself, to make him open for attacks...

Elliott remembered that this weakness caused Llyr to let _Lomelirs_ live in the capital city although he would like to throw them out.

His thoughts started to race behind his eyes. Why didn't the king just throw them out if he didn't want them? Which strange circumstances could stop him from doing so?

He tried to remember everything he had seen and heard from the king, what hasn't been much. Llyr had yelled out his hate, was constantly frowning, stressed and angry.

Always, until he turned his head towards his daughter.

The "biggest weakness" Chrysoula had mentioned was herself. Elliott was surprised how easy the solution was. Llyr had even called her a treasure, and his face had changed when he said it.

He called out her name into the abyss.

"Yes?", she finally answered.

"Have you heard everything I said?"

"Yes, I could hear you", she stated. Her voice still sounded distant and hollow, but at least she was there.

Elliott asked: "Can you help me please?"  
"I'll try my best. Elliott. I know you have nothing to do with our tragedy. You are part of my family and I do not judge you for being half-human or a traitor's son or anything similar. While we're at it, you are welcome in our country. Even in oceans you can't transform in and even if my father states--"

She suddenly stopped talking.

"No, you can't stop me!", she proceeded, "It's enough! Let him go, he learned his lesson!"

"Are you okay?", Elliott wanted to know.

The world started to spin. The next thing he remembered was tumbling through the water without orientation until he softly landed in the middle of the throne room.

Chrysoula laid her hands onto his shoulders. "Oh god, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, just a bit dizzy", Elliott stated. "Phew, what was that?"

"And what's even more important..." The king looked down on them. "Did it work?"

"Did what work?", Elliott asked, but then he suddenly saw it. His view became clearer. Not only clearer, but more colorful than ever.

Glowing lines laid on Llyr, Torlan and Chrysoula when he looked at them, only for a few moments, then it was gone.

"My eyes...! What have you done to my eyes?"

"I gave you the ability to sense auras. You stumbled into our world, confused and scared. I'm sure there is somebody in your world who wonders where you are. One day has passed since I felt you entering the ocean for the first time", Llyr explained.

"I didn't even know you are capable of this", his daughter mentioned.

"I am capable of more you can imagine. Elliott, although I don't like it, we will welcome you here, but all of this was a bit too much for all of us. See it from my point of view. I am shocked as well. You realized you grew up in a gigantic lie. We learned that we have a relative who wasn't supposed to exist. Take your time as we will take ours and come back later. You are now able to spot us anytime you like."

"Father..." Chrysoula stood up with a disenchanted face. "...You act more empathetic than I could ever expect."

"There is so much you still have to learn. I'm not your nice uncle now, Elliott, just so you don't misunderstand me, but I won't harm you. That's already a lot."

"That's more I could ask for", Elliott stated. "You have my gratitude. I can't wait to come back, but I need to be prepared beforehand. If I stay here for days, maybe somebody actually starts looking for me on the surface. You understood my situation better than I did, I suppose."

Llyr added: "Oh, and I'm almost sorry for the memory I threw you into. But I guess you learned your lesson, and at least you only had to endure it for a few minutes...and you didn't take any damage."

"You did?", Elliott wondered.

"Yes, I did." Llyr nodded. "I rose from the abysses I roamed, returned to my people, but the darkness is the same. I gained incredible power, but I had to give up my eyesight in return. I am blind. And in case you wondered why my wife hasn't talked to you yet...and because you can't read our signs...Torlan was born mute. She can hear you...but just as I told you, all of us have some kind of health issue after the oil spill."

"I'm sorry to hear that. ...Would you allow me a question? Does that mean you chose your queen without seeing or hearing her once?"

"Exactly. You would not guess so, but I am able to love, and she is worth it. Spare me your pity! We are still able to kill you in a hundred different ways. So look out for the auras in your hometown before we make up our mind. Think of somebody you miss."

Elliott didn't have to wonder who it could be. Leah appeared in his imagination. Her smile warmed his heart like it did so many times. Quicker than he expected, he felt a direction to swim into.

"I have it", he said, "That feels strange, but she's to the left. I am sure."

The queen, who had no choice than to watch him until then, descended from the podium and approached Elliott. He quickly lowered his head, but she gently raised it with a finger under his chin.

Then she hugged him closely.

Elliott gasped, buried in her snow white hair. It took him a bit of courage to extend his arms and hug her as well.

They didn't need words. Queen Torlan's gesture expressed her feelings well enough.

Still she decided to communicate with her nephew. She swam up to her husband, took his hand and stroked it in an odd way. Her fingers danced on his palm, drew lines and poked it gently.

"You are overdoing it", Llyr growled, "I can't say that. Seriously."

After she repeated it a bit more forcefully, the king sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Okay, okay. My wife wants me to tell you the following: She thinks you are adorable and she is willing to accept you as a part of our family. Torlan says, when all of us had enough time to get used to each other, she could even imagine to see you as some kind of...son. Because we were never able to conceive more children. Ugh. There, I said it. But that's not what I feel! Never would I accept you in such a way. Your honor can't be restored, I already told you that."

"I know, but that's okay. Give me a few weeks and I will talk to you again. On which base...we will see. I will use your gift wisely. Thank you for everything."

Llyr finally showed a tiny smirk. "You are so different from your father, did you know that? Come on now, get going. Chrysoula will escort you out. ...Goodbye."

After he had bowed for one last time, Elliott turned around and left the castle, followed by his cousin.

"I'd like to show you so much more of our world", Chrysoula murmured, "But you are right. It's better if we take a while, think about everything that happened and get to know each other later. Be careful out there. If there is somebody around you, you will feel it in time. It's safer if you stay away from the ground. That's where the monsters are creeping around. If anything should happen, try to get closer to the surface. But not too close! Humans mustn't see you. Before you leave the water, reach out for any auras in your near. You will transform quickly after you are outside."

"May I tell anybody?", Elliott wanted to know.

"You may, but only to those you would die for. Which are not many, I hope. You are endangering yourself. The more people know, the worse. Did you know that humans trade our fins on their so-called _black market_ for money?" She pronounced money as if it was poisonous. "If a greedy person gets to know your secret, you are done for. Keep that in mind. You will need...hm, approximately one hour and thirty minutes to get home."

"Okay." He sighed. "I still feel like I am dreaming."

"Of course you do, but everything will be better from now on. Trust me. Stay safe out there."

They hugged quickly. "You too", Elliott said in their embrace. "Goodbye."

He let go of her, turned around and commenced swimming straight upwards. Somewhen he would come back and admire Rahi, its architecture, and he would get to know other _Lomelirs_ and hear their stories.

When he left the city behind, he turned around to see it disappear right before his eyes as if it had never existed. Elliott had left the dome.

Leah's aura lead him through the Gem Sea: A soul that suddenly felt less lonely. Although Elliott knew he would never fit in perfectly, he knew it was okay the way it was. Llyr had turned out to be smarter and even kinder than he seemed, and Chrysoula would prove herself to be a precious friend in the future.

Elliott swam through the silence and was at peace.

 

It was evening or night when he approached the coast. The shore was already in sight, and Elliott stopped and tried to feel anyone.

He could see an aura like before, a layer above his normal eyesight. A ball of green lines pulsated in the distance. Because it behaved much quieter than the ones he had seen before, Elliott supposed the person was sleeping.

Probably Willy, but nobody else.

Elliott swam closer until he sat in the sand directly under the surface. It divided two worlds that should never intertwine.

Aside from a few exceptions, of course.

He inhaled the salty water for one last time, then he crawled out of the ocean.

His new instinct had lead him to the right place. The cabin appeared on the beach after Elliott blinked the water out of his eyes. He coughed it out and finally filled his lungs with fresh air. It felt clean and tasted heavenly, something he had never imagined to think.

Coughing and panting, he lied in the sand. This transition was harder than expected. Elliott dipped his forehead into the sand and closed his eyes. Swimming through the ocean for over an hour straight was tough, even though the fin made it easier.

After all, he crawled forwards, because it was too early to rest. The exhaustion slowed down his movements, but with a look over his shoulder, Elliott saw that his transformation was complete. He tried to stand up, and although it took him much longer than usually, he did it and walked through the sand with wobbly legs. At least he was still alone.

Finally he opened the door to his cabin.

Elliott embraced the darkness that suddenly surrounded him and didn't even try to fight back. He closed his eyes and sank down to the ground.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My chosen path  
> The direction that I take  
> Is the consequence of your greatest mistake.
> 
> When that day arrives   
> it's decision time.  
> Which way will I turn?  
> Will I ever really learn?
> 
> If I'm shown the way  
> I'll never be alone.  
> The choice is mine   
> In deciding where I'll go.
> 
> All our souls digress  
> We started as one.  
> All our journeys will end   
> At the same destination.
> 
> (Source: "Streams" by Haken)
> 
> _________________________________________________
> 
> Back to Stardew Valley ~~  
> Writing Llyr is some kind of razor's edge. He is indeed hateful and violent, but he is also clever enough to set it aside if it's necessary. I hope I was able to make him a credible character. It will take us a while until we see him again. For now, the Stardew Valley Fair is just around the corner!


	36. Now that you know

_??? November_

_Elliott's cabin_

_Pelican Town, Ferngill Republic_

 

 

Syllables without any meaning hit Elliott's ear.

An indistinct voice called out to him over and over again.

It took him a bit to make out the words. At the same time, he noticed a hand between his shoulders, buried in his hair.

"Please", the voice murmured, "Please speak to me..."

He sighed and slowly raised his head from the wooden planks.

"Oh, thank goodness!", Leah called out, "Elliott, what are you doing? Do you think it's posh to sleep anywhere as long as it's not your bed? And in Yoba's name, what have you done? I haven't seen you in days!"

"Leah", he mumbled, "Would you please be a bit quieter?"

"Quieter?", she repeated in the same loudness, "I found you on the ground, in your clothes, obviously unconscious. What do you expect? I was almost about to call Harvey!"

Elliott sat up and looked around. The morning sun welcomed him back in his humble home. His legs still felt weak and he was surprised he couldn't even make it to his bed when he came home the last evening. Everything had faded black before his eyes. The exhaustion had obviously been too overwhelming.

It all came back to his mind. Llyr, Torlan and Chrysoula, the truth that Elliott had been looking for, his blood and everything that came with it.

Leah explained: "Everything I wanted to do is to look after you. It was the tenth when I saw you for the last time. That's five days ago, Elliott. Five days. So I just wanted to say hi, you didn't answer when I knocked, that's why I just came in and...I find you like this! Do you need help? Please tell me!"

With an appeasing gesture, he ensured: "No, I'm fine. Thank you for being so concerned." Finally he stood up, still slightly swaying.

"Something happened. I can see it in your face. Do you want to talk about it?", Leah offered.

"I..." Elliott bit his lip. "I owe you an explanation, I suppose..." Was it worth the danger, though?

"You may want to sit down", he added, "It will take me a while."

"No problem", Leah said and sat down on the only chair while Elliott plopped down onto his bed and commenced rubbing his scalp with both hands. "Where do I start?", he murmured mostly to himself.

"Take your time. I'm here for you."  
"The question is: Will you still be here for me after you know what I found out?"

She frowned. "It can't be that bad."

"Let me start like this", he said and looked directly into Leah's eyes from across the room. "You were at my side when I faced my parents one last time and you know I found out that they are hiding something from me. Something horrible. Now I know what it was."

Clapping her hands, she called out: "But that's awesome! Congratulations!"

  
"Do you remember what you said to me? _Unsuspectingness can be a true blessing_ , right?"

  
"Yes, but you wanted to know it so badly. Do tell me, will you?"

Elliott sighed. "It is a secret. If you won't keep it a secret, you are seriously threatening me. Possibly my life depends on it."

The look on Leah's face told him everything he needed to know. Her smile faded immediatly. "So it is actually that bad. I see. You don't have to tell me, because my word is all I have to offer."

He decided to avoid talking like a poet and just give the facts to Leah. "I am...not human."

Leah opened her mouth, but her answer took her a few seconds. "Okay, you got me there."

"I mean it. Seriously, I am not kidding."

"I know that monsters exist in rural areas like these, but what could you possibly be?", she wondered.

"My father is..." Elliott swallowed and nervously played with his hair. "He is what you would call a _merman_. This makes me half-human."

Her face was unexpressive when she stared at him and blinked.

"Wow, I didn't know they actually exist", she then said. "How is that possible?"

"Let me explain it to you."

At first, the words came out like a waterfall, but with every sentence, Elliott became calmer and even a little bit content about his journey.

Leah suppressed a curse after his explanation.

"I don't know what to say. I'm sorry. It feels so unreal."

"There's no need to be sorry. The longer I think about it, the better I feel. Things I asked myself for years are finally answered now. I feel relieved."

"Listen", Leah said and looked down on the planks as if she was talking to them. "It doesn't change anything between us, but I will protect your secret. Nobody will hear about it."

"It would be appreciated. See, I said everything will turn out fine. My time has been quite rewarding so far. I left everything I have known to come to a place where I know nothing, and it was the right thing to do-- ouch!"

"What's wrong?", Leah wondered.

Elliott put a hand into his shirt pocket to find the cause for the painful pinching. What he fetched out of it surprised him. "Oh my", he called out, "Look, there was this adorable tiny crab in my shirt pocket." He even recognized it to be the one who already pinched his tail fin before, when he woke up underwater for the first time.

"Awww", Leah made, "That's...sweet."

"My cabin is not the best home for you." He opened his door and gently sat the orange crab down into the sand.

"Anyway, what I wanted to say", he proceeded after he was inside again, "...Thank you for your secrecy. It means a lot to me and the world under the surface."

"Don't mention it. Would you like me to stay or would it be better to leave you alone a bit?"

With a look on Gunther's book on the desk, Elliott suggested: "I need a few minutes for myself. I fell asleep with dripping wet hair. It feels unpleasantly matted and my clothes appear stiff from the salt water. Afterwards, I'll walk over to the library."

"Ah, by the way!" Leah jumped up. "The Stardew Valley Fair will start at 9 A.M. tomorrow in the morning. I'll come over to pick you up around that time."

"That week passed quickly. Alright, I will be ready. If you allow..."

"Sure." A cute smile adorned her face. "So, I will meet you tomorrow. This is going to be cool!"

 

Later that day, Elliott opened the squeaking door of the library with Gunther's book under his arm. The curator was browsing through a book as well, but put it aside as soon as he saw his guest.

"Greetings! Are you done with my book already? You were quite quick with it."

"Hello, Gunther. I..." Elliott stepped nearer, breathed in the typical library smell and laid the book onto the counter. "I don't need it anymore."

Putting the glasses up on his nose, Gunther gave his book a quick check. Of course Elliott had not harmed it, so he asked: "Is that so? Did you enjoy it?"

"I certainly did. Thank you."  
"No problem." He put it down and folded his hands on the counter. "I hope you feel better, now that you know you're a _Lomelir_."

Elliott stopped breathing. His body turned into stone while he was sure his heart just skipped more than just one beat. Afterwards, it commenced racing at a breathtaking pace. Nothing made sense. Nobody was supposed to know and this man just casually talked about it as if it was common knowledge.

"Surprised, huh?", Gunther asked.

"How." Elliott laid his shaking hands onto the counter and came closer. "How did you know", he whispered as suppressed as he could.

"A curator does a lot of research throughout his life. I grew up in a region similar to this: Magic was common, monsters lived all around us and everyone knew that there is more than meets the eye. Furthermore, when I was your age, I was quite...flirtatious. That was before I met my wife, of course, but I had a lot of girlfriends until then. Once I started a relationship with a _Lomelir_ girl before I even knew what that word means. She told me, but as I always believed that this kind of beings exists, she only confirmed what I knew all along. Back to my initial statement, after decades of research and talking to all kinds of humans, wizards and everything inbetween, you get a feeling for whoever you are conversing to. I didn't know exactly from the beginning, but I was sure there is something odd about you. Your behavior told me the rest."

It was one of those few moments that left Elliott completely speechless. He stared at Gunther with an open mouth, unable to believe what he just heard.

"We are alone, so I can talk honestly to you. When you found my banned literature and you vowed to keep it a secret, I mentioned that you wouldn't want me to talk about your biggest secret also. Your reaction was different than I imagined, and I realized you didn't even know what you are."

"That means you have been referring to my ancestry?"

Gunther stroked his goatee and explained: "Like I already said, I didn't know what it was exactly, but I was certain you are not what you pretend to be. Now that you have the certainty...does it feel good?"

"Very", Elliott confirmed. "I always felt like a weirdo, although everyone stated I am charismatic and eloquent. Somehow I knew I am different, but I could never pinpoint in which way. Still, it will take me some days to fully internalize my new reality, especially because not all of my questions have been answered. Not everything makes sense yet." Like the missing signs on his father's skin. Chrysoula had promised to gather information about it, and Elliott couldn't wait to hear.

"Give it some time", the curator suggested, "Who wouldn't be shocked in a situation like this."

"Tell me, is it that easy to discover my secret? You knew earlier than I did!"

  
"Trust me, it isn't. First of all, not many people know about Cantea as such. Second is, not all who heard about it believe it. And just because you live by the sea doesn't mean you are not entirely human. I talked to a number of _Lomelirs_ throughout my life and most of them show similar patterns of behavior. In the Gotoro Empire, there is an entire village of _Lomelirs_ who don't want to live in the ocean. Still it is situated directly at the coast because they could never be without it."

  
"A whole village?", Elliott repeated, "That sounds wonderful."

"Yes, they get along very well because they are in the same boat. Literally. It looks like a normal village of fishermen, nobody would guess their race. If this community can live in peace without attracting attention, you can blend into Pelican Town also."

"At least it's fair now. I know about your illegal literature and you know about my blood."

Before Gunther could answer, the door opened. A graceful woman with big green eyes stepped in, but she looked shy and insecure. Her brown hair was tied up to a neat bun. With her yellow blouse and a grey pencil skirt, she almost seemed like a teacher.

"Hello", she said quietly.

"Ah, Penny! That's good timing", Gunther said, "Have you met Elliott yet?"

Penny stepped nearer and turned her head like a little bird. With a voice that could be associated with the same, she replied: "No, I haven't. To be honest, I didn't even know somebody new would move into town."

Elliott showed his nicest smile and told her: "It all happened rather quickly. Only one week has passed since I moved in. Like Gunther already said, I'm Elliott. I live in the cabin down at the beach."

Penny's smile seemed strange. Not only shy, even a bit forced. "Nice to meet you. I'm Penny and I educate Pelican Town's children. In my free time, I read a lot. That's why I can be seen here frequently."

"That is one of my biggest interests as well. I suppose we will see each other regularly. May I ask you what your favorite genres are?"

"Sure!", she rejoiced and now seemed honestly happy. "I love romantic fantasy books. Dreaming myself into other worlds really helps me dealing with stress."  
"Yes, I clearly understand why it's such a popular genre. My hobbyhorse is poetry, but I also love myself a good fantasy book inbetween", Elliott agreed.

With a look on her wrist watch, Penny noticed: "Oh, I'm a bit late. If you allow, I need to prepare today's lesson..." Her voice grew softer, her shoulders sank and Elliott's heart broke a little. It was more than obvious that she felt sad.

"Of course. I didn't intend to stop you from your duty."

"...Thanks. See you around."

Elliott and Gunther watched her go over to the shelves with tiny steps until she disappeared behind one. He didn't dare to ask because she most likely would have heard, but Gunther's unhappy face was enough of an answer.

"Anyway, will you seize the opportunity to meet some more villagers at the Stardew Valley Fair tomorrow?", Gunther wanted to know.

"Sure. Leah and I are going, but I think I greeted almost everyone by now. If not, I should go and introduce myself after the fair. I had enough time to arrive in Pelican Town."

"Mhm." The curator nodded. "That would be good. I'm not into games, but missing the fair would be a pity. Kana is coming over also, she will display one of her robots for the kids. Now that I think about it, she's late..."

As if he summoned her, the door was thrown open. Two children ran in, followed by Kana who humped a gigantic travel bag and tugged a trolley behind her, still in her white lab coat.

"Ey!", she called after the children who were almost around the corner. "I know you are late, but that doesn't give you the right to act impudent. Come back and greet the grownups like you are supposed to."

The boy and the girl, probably around six years old, mumbled something and shambled back to the counter. Elliott hadn't seen them before, but the boy had a little resemblance to Sam.

"Hi, Mr. Gunther", they said and stared at Elliott with confusion in their tiny faces.

Gunther explained: "This is Elliott. He's new in town and--"

"Okay, cool", the boy answered and fled around the corner where Penny was already waiting. His friend quickly followed.

"Oh, those brats!", Kana growled and tugged her luggage in. Patting Elliott on the shoulder, she trudged behind the counter. "Don't take it personally. Hi."

Gunther hugged his daughter briefly and explained: "You didn't know them yet, did you? Their names are Vincent and Jas. Vincent is the younger brother of Sam Bradley and Jas is Marnie's niece. You know, from the ranch."  
"I haven't visited the ranch yet, but thank you for enlightening me", Elliott replied.

With an annoyed sigh, Kana flipped her hair and put up her collar. "Sorry for being late. As you can see, I didn't even get to change into normal clothes."

"You prepared one of your works for tomorrow?"

"Yep, it's in my suitcase. It's a fully automatic, voice controlled robot, developed as a prototype of future household robots. As such, it's waterproof, has extendable legs and is resistant against acids, boiling oil and common cleansing agents. Oh...that was more than you asked for. Excuse me, I can hardly contain myself when I get to talk about my passion."

After a suppressed chuckle, Elliott answered: "That's more than understandable. I can watch myself doing the same when I talk about my job. It's interesting to see that you work in some kind of the opposite field compared to your father's."

"Those antique artifacts are interesting also, but robotics is the future. The project I have with me is more expensive than my car, but some day it will be affordable for everyone. Because of its value, we'll be showing it inside of a box. Only Maru and me may touch it. She is the next big genius of the robotics business, I am forecasting a bright future for her."

"Are you already working together?", Elliott wondered.

"Not yet, unfortunately", Kana answered, "She isn't ready yet, but she plans to leave Stardew Valley next year in summer to start her studies. We are not only best friends, we also learn from each other and talk about our scientific ambitions until we are coworkers some day."

"That sounds like a wonderful friendship."

"It is." Her blushed cheeks made her look like the girl next door, a bit more down to earth than the scientist from straight out of a picture book. "Maru is indeed special."

Gunther tapped on the counter with his fingernail. "Sorry to interrupt your spirited discussion, but wouldn't it be best we bring your luggage upstairs? Elliott, we are having steamed dumplings today. Would you like to join us?"

"Again? You are a curator, not some kind of welfare organization", he objected.

"Come on, I owe it to you because I may read your books. There are some true gems in your collection. Normally, I should offer you something better than just a few plain dumplings."

"Your company would be appreciated", Kana offered, "I'm a bit stressed out after my way out of the city, and after I already talked enough about myself, I'd like to talk about your ambitions."

Elliott looked into his friends' faces, genuinely interested and unconditionally friendly towards him.

"Well, if you look at me like that, I suppose it would be a shame to let you down. If you don't consider me a burden, I'd be happy to join you."

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elliott lowered his head. "Please forgive me. I won't tell anyone."  
> "You won't tell anyone?" With slow steps, Gunther came nearer, so near that Elliott almost wanted to shy away. Their noses practically touched when the curator hissed: "You better don't. I don't feel like losing the villagers' trust, especially because I did not make any mistake. Nobody must know this secret, it's between you, me and my daughter. Understood? How would you feel if I told your biggest secret to anyone?"  
> "I-Is there..." Elliott swallowed louder than he intended to. "Is there anything you are referring to?"  
> Gunther's expression changed in a strange way. He opened his eyes wide, as if Elliott said something surprising, and remained in this state for a few thoughtful seconds. Then, he suddenly smiled again. "No, there isn't. That's why it's your secret, right?"
> 
> \- This scene from chapter 26 was the conversation Gunther mentioned.
> 
> _______________________________________
> 
> Furthermore, I realized that the Stardew Valley Fair is obviously supposed to be in October, because the Spirit Eve ( = Halloween = 31st Oct) takes place afterwards. Please forgive the mistake, but I will claim this little bit of artistic freedom.  
> _______________________________________
> 
> Penny will explain what happened, but it needs a few more chapters.


	37. Stardew Valley Fair

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliott didn't believe his eyes more than once on that day.

_16th November_

_Town Square_

_Pelican Town, Ferngill Republic_

 

The inhabitants of Pelican Town were rewarded for their diligent preparations of the Stardew Valley Fair. From its first timid looks over the mountain, the sun shone with all of its dwindling power. Winter was near, but nobody wanted to think about it on a golden autumn day like this. Tourists from all over the country roamed the city from the morning on.

Leah, with her arm hooked under Elliott's, had helped Marnie in the morning before she picked her friend up at the beach. Marnie and Pierre both had displays to present their goods. Despite the wonderful sunshine, it was windy and Elliott and Leah had both snuggled up into their scarves. Elliott's night blue woollen coat in knee-length was soft to the touch. Leah occassionally caught herself touching it firmer than necessary. She had tried to persuade him to leave his tie at home, but he couldn't help it. A white shirt and a black tie were more of an understatement in his opinion.

Leah kept it simple with some plain leather boots and a cute green jacket with white dots. Whatever she wore, Elliott adored her anyhow.

Strangely, he started to feel different when he saw her. The raging pain due to his rejected love was soothed more and more. It changed into true, heartfelt joy.

His feelings were going back to what they were supposed to be, and Elliott was very relieved when he realized that.

The Stardew Valley Fair was full of games that were rewarded with so-called Star Tokens. A booth in the near of the abandoned farm offered a selection of prizes to trade for those. Before Leah and Elliott started to play, they pondered which goal they should aim for. Unfortunately, a lot of the prizes were useless frippery. Kitschy teddy bears sat next to gingerbread hearts and illuminated toys that played awful melodies.

"Ugh, the prizes have been better the last years", Leah mumbled, but suddenly she noticed Elliott's distant yearning stare.

Her eyes widened as she watched him dream. She was sure she would never be able to display such supreme handsomeness in a sculpture or painting.

"Have you found anything?", she wondered.

"Yes", he answered, still mesmerized, "Look, there's a duck feather for 1000 Star Tokens. I always wanted to call one my own, but I never found one in the city. It's so colorful..."  
"You know what? I will help you. Those prizes aren't appealing to me at all. We'll just work together!"

Elliott raised his eyebrows, then rewarded her with a grateful smile. "Would you do that for me? That's very kind of you."

"For sure. We could try the fishing game or the slingshot game first. If we become tired of playing, it's also possible to buy Star Tokens, but that wouldn't be half as much fun!"

"Fishing sounds good. Would you mind to try this one first?"  
Leah didn't mind, so they made their way.

"By the way", she said, "The younger inhabitants of Pelican Town traditionally meet at the saloon after the fair. We'll have some pizza and beer. Are you in?"

"Well, why not? I'm not a big fan of pizza, but I haven't had a good beer in ages", Elliott replied.

"Gus is serving burgers in the near of the playground. I don't like pizza either, so we could have his burgers for dinner. He usually returns to the saloon around 8 P.M. Okay, so here we are. All we have to do is: Catching as many fish as quickly as we can."

It sounded easy, but Elliott's first try caused him to leave the booth embarressed and silent. Luck hadn't been at his side, he had failed miserably. Although he had no idea how he would ever take care of himself if he didn't get the game done, he tried again, again, again and again.

"Wow, I'm impressed!", Leah called out, a bag full of Star Tokens in her hand, "That first try was so disastrous, I didn't expect you to improve so quickly!"

Elliott explained: "Ah, it was nothing special. Mostly everything in life is about luck, not that I improved significantly."

"If you say so. Wanna try out the slingshot game next?"

They did. It was Leah's turn to win Star Tokens. She proved herself to be a talent with the slingshot while Elliott's success was rather average.

"I sometimes use the slingshot to shoot fruits off trees", she told him, "Usually I just climb the tree, but if a fruit is extremely hard to reach, it's a good tool for gathering breakfast."

"Quite impressive, if you ask me!", he answered.

"At least I can help you winning some tokens. I may suck at fishing, but there must be something I'm good at, right? Hey, I'm feeling bold. How about we try the smashing stone? ...Elliott?"

At first she supposed he had spaced out once again, but Elliott was watching somebody.

Actually, it was the other way round. He had noticed that he was the one being watched.

A man stared at them from behind another booth. Glaring purple hair framed his old face, his expression hard to guess under his mustache and goatee. His body was hard to describe, covered by a slightly shimmering long black coat and high pointed boots.

Time stopped. The crowd on the townsquare creeped into the background, their chattering was set on mute and their surroundings faded out until Elliott could only see the stranger who stared directly into his soul.

Elliott tried to internalize the one half of the man that wasn't hidden behind the booth. Every wrinkle, the colors of his skin and hair, every facial feature.

He was brought back into reality when Leah slapped his hand.

"Ew!", he called out in shock, rubbed his hand and gave her an annoyed glance, "What was that for?"

"You snapped. I supposed that would bring you back. See, it worked."

"I didn't snap", he protested and looked back at the spot where the stranger just stood.

He was gone.

"Or did I?", Elliott mumbled. As he thought about what just happened, he nervously started fumbling around in his hair and sighed.

"What happened?", Leah wondered, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but did you see that man? He stared at us. It was...weird. I felt as if he analyzed me within seconds."

She denied: "I didn't see anybody. What did he look like?"

"He had bright purple hair, he's bearded, had small eyes, a big nose...he wore a long black coat..."

"That's the wizard", Leah interrupted him.

"A magician?", Elliott asked, "What could he possibly want from me?"

"Don't overthink it. He's an outsider and only participates in festivals to watch everyone. Probably he was just interested because he did not see you yet."

The certainty in Leah's face made Elliott want to believe. Possibly she was right, and because he had no possibility to prove her wrong, her statement had to be enough.

Dark thoughts were useless on a day like this. What really counted was the fun the two of them had. Their laugh filled the air throughout the day, and Elliott would memorize a collection of precious memories. It wasn't even important that their actions were not very impressive. They had some soft serve ice cream to get themselves back into the right mood. Afterwards, Leah proved herself to be much stronger than she looked like. With one elegant strike, she won the smashing stone game, leaving everyone speechless who saw it.

"What?", she shouted to the astouned crowd, "I've got no man who cuts trees down for me or cuts my firewood!"

"I bet you've got six-pack abs also!", a voice shouted. Leah recognized it and quickly spotted Sam inbetween.

"If you're that keen to know that..."

"Hey, wait a second", Elliott stopped her, "He's just messing around--"  
She really flashed her shirt to reveal the best defined abs Elliott had ever laid eyes upon. Although she showed it for two or three seconds only, he was sure his eyeballs were about to explode. It had always been clear that there was no spare gram fat anywhere on Leah's body, but he never expected her to be that fit.

"Hmph", she made, clearly annoyed and turned towards her companion. "Is it so strange for a woman to be strong? You could beat that game as well and nobody would bat an eye."

Elliott cleared his throat and replied: "It is a little uncommon for a woman to be stronger than her male friends indeed."  
"As if I'd be stronger than you! You're bulky as hell! Come on, show me what you've got. If you actually can't win the game, you have to join me when I cut down trees in the forest!"

"Fine, if you insist." Leah handed him the gigantic hammer. He heaved it over his shoulder, straining every possible muscle, and whacked the platform with everything he got.

It looked good. The ball raced upwards, it was almost enough...

Elliott felt his blood leaving his face when he saw the ball which was supposed to hit the bell stopped two or three centimetres under the goal.

"Oh", Leah said, sounding disappointed and surprised at the same time. "Guess who'll have to help me with my preparations for the upcoming winter."  
"I have to admit I let my training down, okay. At first I had to pause because of my injury, but I didn't resume my workouts after the sutures have been removed."

"I know your book is your priority, still I won't go easy on you. Wait a second..." Leah received the tokens she had just gained. "Hey, that's enough already! Nice, we can go and pick up your duck feather."

Although Elliott still felt awkward after his failure, he swallowed it quickly. Ruining the mood was the last thing he wanted. He offered his arm to Leah once again and held the prize in his hands a few minutes later. Its splendid blue shimmer brightened his eyes. The feather was only half as long as Elliott's hand.

"Thank you", he whispered with a deep look into Leah's eyes, not knowing that it hit her right into the heart.

"No problem", she rejected, "Your success at fishing was the biggest part and the other prizes were trash anyway." Leah turned her blushed cheeks away and suggested: "Would you like to bring it home and we meet at the grilling site afterwards?"

Elliott nodded and agreed: "That sounds good. It would be a shame if somebody spilled sauce over the feather. You said the grilling site is in the near of the playground?"

"It is. On the way to the farm, a staircase leads upward to your right after Harvey's clinic. You will see it from there already."  
They split up. Elliott's heart and feet felt light when he went towards his home. Some of the shadows in his soul had disappeared. He almost felt like a new man, so happy and elated and less bitter than before.

It could stay that way forever.

Spending his new energy on a long dive seemed alluring. All of the citizens were in town, playing games and eating burgers – nobody would notice if Elliott disappeared for a few hours.

Besides Leah, of course.

He killed the thought and hurried into his cabin. Before he gently placed the feather on his desk, Elliott took one moment more to adore its white tip, the black stripe below and the blue rest.

Afterwards, he returned into town. The sun was covered by light clouds in the meantime, the air became crisper.

Elliott spotted Kana in a fenced square near the saloon. Children jostled each other in front of it. All of them wanted to see the tricks she showed with the robot he could hardly make out because the view was blocked.

She saw him as well and waved with an overjoyed grin.

He happily waved back. The two of them got along very well. Kana fueled his inner fire even more the day before when Elliott had dinner with her and Gunther. An enthusiastic listener like her was a true blessing as soon as he was offered to talk about his book. Her questions had almost been a bit too nosy. She was curious, but Elliott prefered an honestly curious listener above a feigning one at every time.

As Elliott was almost about to turn left, he suddenly saw Lewis in the distance, standing right of Pierre's store.

Lewis seemed pensive and concerned, his bushy eyebrows down on his eyes. The wrinkles in his face appeared deeper than ever, and Elliott decided to change his way.

"Good afternoon", he greeted as he slowly approached the mayor.

He raised his head and noticed the writer. "Oh, hello. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. Are you alright? There is a shadow on your face, it is clouded with pensiveness. If you wish to talk about it, I am here to listen."

"It's nothing serious", the mayor rejected, "It's just...right here where we are standing, my best friend set up his grange display every year before he passed away. The Stardew Valley Fair reminds me of himeach time. We all miss him. Adam was a valued man, he left a huge gap in our community."  
"Adam?", Elliott repeated, "You mean Adam Regner, the deceased owner of Camilla Farm?"

"So you already heard of him? Yes, it's him. He had a daughter who died when she was still a teenager – one of the kindest souls this valley had ever seen. Zealous, always friendly, modest, clever. In the last year before she left the valley, she even had her own display. If you want to listen for a moment..."

"Of course. Tell me and I will stay with you."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started editing the earlier chapters. You possibly remember it being a huge wall of text, but it is much easier to read now!


	38. Stardew Valley Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Over two decades ago, a tourist met his fate at the Stardew Valley Fair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is a reference to the Stardew Valley Fair.

_M a n y   y e a r s   a g o . . ._

 

_16th November_

_Town Square_

_Pelican Town, Ferngill Republic_

 

 

The Stardew Valley Fair had always been attracting tourists from all over the country, just like in that year. In another part of the Ferngill Republic, a merman and his wife were just planning to finally conceive their first child, but Lawrence Dahlberg didn't know them. He was the eighteen-year-old son of a baker and visited the fair together with his father. Hailing from Fosving, their journey had been a long one, and Lawrence was happy to enjoy the day in this region he had never been to before.

His father Stanley was hoping to find good ingredients for his pastry. Because Lawrence planned to inherit his bakery some day, he had joined him. They had bought homemade jam, creamy milk, tasty honey, flour, eggs and sugar from Mr. Regner, the local farmer. The baker was very content – the excellent quality was exactly what he came for.

After they had sealed the deal, he and the farmer talked about their businesses for a while. It wasn't that interesting for the boy, so Mr. Regner invited him to visit his daughter's display.

A gust of wind tousled his walnut brown curls. Lawrence wandered through the crowded town. Inbetween, he spotted the man who had introduced himself as Lewis Hannon, the new mayor of Pelican town, with his heartwarmingly friendly smile, framed by short black hair and quite bushy eyebrows.

In the near of the river, he found a booth, similar to a counter ice-cream parlors used, with a huge glass pane in its front.

It woke the curiosity of the baker's son. He noticed that there was nobody behind the counter but he stepped nearer to examine what was displayed behind the glass anyway.

Interestingly, the booth smelled heavenly like herbs and flowers. Lawrence could see colorful pieces displayed there.

Before he could make out what it was, a head popped up behind the counter. Obviously he had found the farmer's daughter who was in charge of her own booth. She was a sweet teenage girl, so small that she could barely look over the counter, with a sunflower in her blond hair in chin-length and brown eyes.

"Woah!", Lawrence made, shocked by her sudden appearance. "Do you always greet costumers like that?"

"Nah, I lost a penny", she replied in a purring voice. "Hi, I'm Lex Regner. How are you?"

"The name is Lawrence Dahlberg. I'm fine, thanks! Did you at least find your penny?"

"Yep." Lex nodded enthusiastically. "Have you been to Stardew Valley before?"

Lawrence explained: "No, it's actually my first time today!"

"Nice, what a coincidence! You're just in time to try my freshly-crafted _Camilla's Herbal Delight Soap Bars_! I sell them for the first time today. A wonderful souvenir for a precious girl at home!"

"These are soap bars?", he wondered and recognized it after a second look. Indeedly, the colorful, delightfully scented bars resembled soap, but different from any Lawrence had seen until then.

"It smells more like a garden!", he added.

With a proud grin on her face, Lex answered: "If you look closely, you can see petals and herbs I included. Each color is a different kind. Every plant was handpicked either from our farm or I chose wildly growing plants from Cindersap Forest. I worked years to finally make out the best formula, and now that I'm sixteen, I'm ready to sell the result. My soap doesn't only rinse away the dirt after a long day of work, it also leaves your skin pleasantly soft and fragrant!"

Her words sounded appealing, but it was something different that caught Lawrence's interest. "Wait", he stopped her, "Just so I get that right. You did that all by yourself at such a young age?"

"It took me a few years, but to answer your question, I did. I found books with old soap formulas at the library and started experimenting with them. I wasn't content with the results, but I could improve it over the years. My father was annoyed with my passion for handmade soap bars, unfortunately. He feared I might let down my work on the farm. That's why I spent time with my hobby only in the evening, when I was done with my chores. Now that I did it, he's kinda proud! Last year, I let our neighbors try my soap. Because everyone was pleased, my father finally allowed me to sell it. Still I haven't reached my goal. I'm only selling five different types and only in bars. My fairy rose soap would look even better if it came in blossom shape. I want to improve even more until I inherit the farm. There won't be any time left for soap then."

Her customer stared at her with eyes wide open.

"Huh? Was it something I said?", Lex wondered.

Lawrence replied: "If your soap is as good as you promise, that is an awesome achievement for a teenager! You seem to be quite talented and obviously have a sense for business."

"Nah, stop it!" She giggled and blushed, "I'm not here to talk about myself, I'm just displaying what I do in my spare time."  
"Okay then, show me what you've got!"

Lex fetched a light green bar out of her display and held it over the counter in her cupped hands.

"When I found wild peppermint growing in the forest, I created the soap I mostly recommend for men. Its fresh and aromatic scent refreshes you after stressful work days, boosts blood circulation and even cools the skin!"

The nice smell tickled Lawrence's nose, but if he was to decide, he would have loved to know more about the young woman behind the counter. He listened carefully to each of her words, her cute red lips moving in her well-proportioned face. No matter how much Lex tried to deny it, Lawrence was impressed by her endurance and her will to build up her own little business. He himself had been a bit lazy about the bakery he would lead one day. His enthusiasm had just woken a few months ago. Now that he saw that Lex worked two jobs, it made him feel a bit guilty.

In the end, Lawrence ended up buying one bar of peppermint soap for himself, one bar of chamomile soap for his sisters and one bar of fairy rose soap for his mother. Lex wrapped each up in a thin layer of paper so they wouldn't stick together. Then she packed it into a bag with the adress of the farm.

"There you go! Thank you very much, it was a pleasure to have such a friendly costumer!", Lex rejoiced and handed the bag out.

Lawrence indulged in the scent that wavered out of the bag a little longer. Lex' adress on the bag was the cherry on top. As if she read his mind, she added: "If you think there is something I can improve on, feel free to write me a letter! It is important to me what my costumers think."

"Will you accept praise also?", he asked with a shy smile.

The farmer's daughter sighed and covered her blushing cheeks with her hands. "Who wouldn't? I'd like to hear if you were satisfied with my products as well."

"Okay, prepare for a letter from Fosving." He chuckled at the sight of her tiny hands on her soft cheeks.

"Fosving?", Lex repeated and appeared sterner now. "Wow, that's quite far away if I remember it right. From time to time, I'd like to see more of the world. But how could I? Our animals need us. The crops can be watered with sprinklers, but there is so much more to do than that. It is my task to keep the house clean since I am the woman in our household." She sighed, looked down on the ground for a moment, just to raise her head with a smile on her face. "My dad gives me two days off a week until I'm eighteen. Sometimes, I use the bus to visit Zuzu City. That's the farthest I can go in one day, but there is nothing I could complain about! I try to enjoy my life as much as I can until I'm an adult."

"Wow." Lawrence swallowed louder than he intended to. "You are brave, and mature too. Others wouldn't endure this without complaining."

"That's waste of time and energy. There's nothing I can do about it. Furthermore, my work pays off when I see our tidy home, our splendid harvests and our happy animals."

A voice from behind interrupted them.

"Hey, are you getting along well?"

Lawrence recognized the voice immediatly and turned around to spot his father. "Yes, certainly. Dad, this is Lex, Mr. Regner's daughter."

"Hi", she said and gave him a timid smile.

"Hello there. Lawrence, are you done here? It's getting late. I'd love to stay around for a while, but we have a long way home."

They were done, and so they bid her farewell quickly. Stanley and his son were both very satisfied with what they found in the valley, even if for different reasons. The baker would create tasty bread and pastry for his costumers while his son was happy to have something that would remind him of Lexevery day.

 

Lawrence seized the opportunity as often as he could. Each time he washed his hands at home, he would stop for a minute, enjoy the fresh peppermint scent and remember Lex. His mother and his two younger sisters loved it as well, but they had no idea Lawrence would have bought pretty much every souvenir from her.

It took him two or three weeks to finally find the courage and write a letter to Lex.

He wanted to see her again.

Later in his life, he would wonder whether it was the biggest mistake he ever did, and he would hate himself for sealing his and her fate so early in their lifes, but in this moment, he was just a boy who fell in love with a girl.

 

* * *

 

 

"I wish all of them could see us", Lewis concluded, "It is so awfully sad."

"You mentioned that Adam and Lex passed away long time ago, but what happened to Lawrence?", Elliott wondered.

"As far as I know, he lives in Fosving to the present day. I have the telephone number of his bakery, but I lack the courage to call him. He knows we are all waiting here. If he wanted to, he could easily come back. You know, he cut all ties to Stardew Valley a few years before Adam died."

"I would love to know what happened afterwards, but, you see...Leah is already waiting for me. It would be better if I go before she starts to worry."  
"It's okay", the mayor stated, "Thank you for listening. Have a nice evening."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to hear more about it when we meet for the next time", Elliott offered.

"Sure", Lewis answered, finally smiling again.

Elliott pondered a bit about everything he heard when he made his way.

He would become a part of their story some day, but never would he have guessed so in that moment.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Telephones weren't a thing back then.  
> Introducing a series of chapters set in the past which will appear every now and then in part 2.


	39. The Bachelors' Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leah and Elliott unashamedly overdo it.

_16th November, Present Time_

_At the Fountain_

_Pelican Town, Ferngill Republic_

 

 

An appetizing smokey aroma lingered in the air around the fountain. Wooden banks and tables were set up in the grass. Elliott could spot Leah as she was already sitting on a table with two plates in front of her.

"Over here!", she shouted and waved, "I got you a burger already!"

"Ah, that's very kind of you." He took his place next to Leah just to notice two full pitchers on the table as well, filled with bright orange, cloudy liquid with foam on top. Out of curiosity, Elliott held his nose above.

"That's some strange smelling beer", Elliott noticed and inhaled the aromatic, almost spicy waft once more. "It reminds me of pumpkins."

Leah elucidated the matter: "Indeed, it's Gus' legendary pumpkin ale. You needed more time than I expected. Did anything happen?"

"Nothing serious. I met Lewis on the way and we had a brief conversation. He reminisced about his best friend who used to participate in the fair every year."

"The farmer, I suppose? I heard they got along very well", Leah answered.

"Yes, it was about the farmer. Did you get to know him?", Elliott asked.

"No, I didn't. He was already gone when I moved into my house." She raised her pitcher. "Here's to us! Cheers!"

"Cheers!", Elliott replied and took a sip. The delicious combination of robust taste, bitterness and just a hint of sweetness excited him.

"Mmh, that's truly delightful. It may even be the best ale I ever had."

"See, I told you it's legendary!" Leah chuckled and added: "Wait until you taste the barbecue sauce on your burger."

She was right. They dug their teeth into the succulent burgers shortly after and indulged in the taste. The sauce had the exact right seasoning, the perfect amount of salt and was even zesty to some extent. What followed was just as wonderful: A crispy grilled patty and juicy vegetables, all between two soft wheat buns.

Elliott rolled his eyes upwards. "Oh dear, this is truly delectable." He got rid of his coat, just in case. It would have been a shame if he spilled some sauce over it. Dark red sauce stains wouldn't come off that easily. The coat had been a present for his eighteenth birthday and its price seemed astronomical to Elliott by now. No way he could afford anything similar until he released a bestseller.

After he guzzled more of his pumpkin ale, he glimpsed Leah staring at him.

"What's wrong?", he asked and suppressed a hiccup.

Leah's concerned face was almost too cute for words. The way her eyebrows bent and how she crimped her lips was more adorable than worrying.

She replied: "Now it's my turn to stare at your muscles."

Elliott laughed, relaxed and happy. "Take it easy with the alcohol, Leah. There's nothing to see here."

No matter what he said, she unashamedly stared at his broad shoulders, his neck, his burly appearance. She imagined what he looked like under his white shirt. Back then, Leah only paid attention to Elliott's wound, seeping with blood, but she had seen him shirtless. She knew he had no hair growing on his chest and his skin was paler there, as if he wore tank tops in summer.

The memories of that fateful evening came back to her mind. Elliott's eyes were closed to protect him from the dazzling light above the operating table he lied on. With drips of cold sweat on his pale forehead, he panted for air, scared like a captured animal in its trap.

Leah couldn't concentrate on his body. The memories were so lively that it still scared her.

She remembered when she took his hand and tried to comfort him, but instead he...

"Leah, would you please stop staring at me!", Elliott interrupted her, "You are seriously starting to make me feel uncomfortable."

"Sorry", she mumbled and let go of her memories. She took her eyes off his body and took another bite of her burger. "I got carried away. Anyway...I'm almost done with your script!"

"Really?", he asked with sparkling eyes, "How...how was it?"

"What do you expect? I absolutely love it! I wrote down a few things that I want to ask you about, but in the end, I know your book is going to be fantastic."

A tiny squeal of delight jumped out of Elliott's throat, making Leah giggle. "Excuse me, I'm just so glad you liked it! I work hard and dedicated, it is so rewarding when it pays off. It is the holy grail I strive for, my nirvana."

"It's nice to see you happy. I'll stop by somewhen the next days. While we're at it, we'll also talk about some woodworking then."  
"Whatever floats your boat", he said, "At least it helps you getting some firewood for the winter."

Leah decided: "We'll divide the wood fifty-fifty. I suppose you could use some as well."

"I don't have much room for storing wood, but it's a good idea nonetheless. Let's talk about that when you come over."

Both of them fell silent. Elliott started to observe his surroundings while he ate his second burger. Probably winter was just around the corner. Grey clouds creeped across the dusking sky at 5:30 P.M. already. Tough times were lying ahead. The writer could already imagine himself wrapped up in his warmest blanket, working behind his desk.

He saw other villagers he already got to know: Vincent and obviously his mother, Pierre's wife Caroline and Emily alongside a blonde woman. Although he didn't talk to her yet, he recognized another woman, at least fifty years old, or possibly she only looked that old because she didn't seem to be very healthy. Her ocher face contained deep wrinkles below her blonde curls. With a pitcher in her hand, she talked to Gus, but guessing from the muttering way she spoke, she had had more than one beer already. Elliott remembered that he had seen her when he came to Pelican Town for the first time.

Speaking of which, the strong brew was seeping into Elliott's veins already. His eyes had problems to focus on what he wanted to see, but apart from that, he still felt collected. What Leah had said to him indicated that her tongue started to become loose.

She wanted to stare at his body, how ludicrous. Who knew how much alcohol she drank while Elliott was still talking to Lewis.

Another burger and another beer later, Gus closed his grill. The fair was far less crowded by now as a chilly breeze came up and the sun had set.

Abigail, Sebastian and Sam came down from the mountains north of Pelican Town, whatever they had been doing there, but nobody was still sober. Emily and her sister who introduced herself as Haley were no exception. Everyone helped Gus carrying his stuff back to the saloon. They found Shane lurking around there. Obviously he was eagerto finally enter the saloon. While Gus and his helpers opened up and brought everything inside, Penny approached the scenery as well, with Doctor Harvey at her side.

Haley was happy to see a young man with frayed brown hair who entered the saloon when Gus prepared the first round of pumpkin ale.

He looked a bit like the typical high school football player in his green college jacket. The cocky grin on his face was enough for Elliott to know he didn't want to befriend that guy.

Haley's light blue eyes gleamed yearningly. "Hi, Alex", she purred and approached him. Elliott almost expected her to lose her balance and fall. Her high heels were a bit too dangerous for an evening like this, at least it was what he thought.

"Hi", Alex answered and playfully slapped her backside.

"Does he always treat women like that?", Elliott whispered to Leah.

"Nobody knows", Leah murmured as she unpacked a bottle of Gus' barbecue sauce. "Only the two of them know what's going on between them. They treat each other different every day."

"Ah", he made and received another full pitcher of pumpkin ale from Gus.

With sweeping steps, Emily approached the jukebox and chose some upbeat swing music.

"Ey, Leah", Sam called out and sat down next to her at the bar. "Your abs are totally awesome! Respect!"

She stroked a loose streak of her hair behind her ear. "Thanks. It comes naturally through all the work I have to do."  
"No need to be modest, really! It looks so good. You are manlier than Sebby and Abigail combined!"

Abigail's growling was clearly audible despite the music. She sounded like some kind of monster – or as if she could be a great metal vocalist. "Sam, you filthy--"

"It's okay", Leah calmly appeased her and raised one hand, "Everyone is manlier than Sam, so I'm not offended at all."

"If that wasn't smooth", Elliott mentioned as Sam shambled away to the billard table.

She shrugged her shoulders and guzzled her beer. "The opportunity was too good to let it pass. He deserves it."  
"Well, he seems to be a bit childish..."  
"A bit childish?", Abigail interrupted them, "Sam has always been a nut. When we were fourteen, he dropkicked Seb into a shelf at my dad's store. It was a terrible mess. My dad turned into an orc, I have never seen him that insane. But hey, Sam is cool anyway. He just needs to be pulled back to the ground every now and then."

"What?!" Elliott broke out into laughter. He snorted, cradled his body back and forth and couldn't believe what Abigail just said. Leah joined in, but she only giggled in a dirty way.

In the meantime, Abigail scratched her head. "Okay, I didn't think it was so funny, but..."  
"I would have paid to see this!", Elliott laughed, "Oh, dear god! What a hilarious thought!"

"Whatever, I'm over at the arcade machine", she said and staggered away.

The two friends laughed until they saw stars. Elliott's mind filled with a pleasant dizzy feeling while his worries melted away under the influence of alcohol. It took him a while until he wiped a tear out of the corner of his eye, his cheeks flushed and his hair slightly tousled. "Oh boy, that was nice."  
"Bet on it", Leah agreed, still slightly giggling. Both greedily guzzled more of their beer. In that moment, the door opened once again. Maru stepped in. She had her hair put up in a short ponytail and looked absolutely cute in her dark purple parka and her pink scarf pulled up to her nose.

"Hi", she called into the room and hung her jacket. Approaching the counter with confident steps, she said to Gus: "One glass of wine, please."

"Wouldn't you like some pumpkin ale?", Elliott wondered on the seat next to her.

"No", she declined with a bright smile, "I'm not into beer. In that case, I'm the typical woman for once!"

"Now that you say woman, how did your robot, ummm..." The writer shook his head. "This robot thing...excuse me, somehow I'm having a hard time expressing myself. How did it go?"

Maru giggled. Although she was still sober, she was much more relaxed than usually. "The _robot thing_ was fun! Everyone loved it. I'm a bit late because Kana and me had to disassemble our work station, but it was worth it, of course."

"By the way, why didn't you bring Kana with you?", Leah wanted to know.

"She's tired after that long day. Furthermore, she thinks that she's too old amongst us."

"Too old?", Elliott wondered, "She wouldn't be the oldest here, I'm sure."

After Maru took the first sip of her wine, she answered: "Don't overthink it. See, she never lived here for very long and has no clique here. I am her best friend, but I can accept if she is too exhausted after a day like this."

"That reminds me of a good poem!", Elliott proclaimed and started babbling in flowering language, gesticulating with his hands. Leah found it to be quite funny and commenced giggling once again.

What an evening. A careless evening full of laughter in the town that felt like home.

Elliott couldn't remember the last time he laughed so much on one day.

When he was half way through his poem, Abigail suddenly grabbed his wrist. He didn't hear her coming, but he didn't have time to think about it. She pulled him off his chair and said: "Come on, let's do some headbanging!" Guessing from her flushed cheeks and her uncoordinated steps, she had enough for this evening.

"Wait, I'll join you!", Leah shouted and undid her ponytail.

Abigail ignored the fact that Harvey and Emily were dancing and stopped the music.

Seconds later, blasting drums and loud guitar riffs changed the atmosphere.

Haley let go of Alex' neck and pulled her camera out of her handbag. She was a natural talent at capturing moments and already knew she could take some nice snapshots in this situation. However, Leah, Abigail, and Elliott didn't even notice her anymore. Their hair went flying in some unruly windmill headbanging, while Sam commenced playing the air guitar right next to them.

All of a sudden, something heavy hit Elliott's side and threw him to the ground. It pressed the air out of his lungs, making him feel confused and disorientated.

"Whoops", Abigail mumbled and sat up on his lap. "I lost my balance, I suppose."

Elliott was too drunk to care. The world was still spinning around from his headbanging, and he found everything much too funny. He didn't bother and laughed happily.

"You know what?", she added, "You aren't even that much of an uptight asshole, although I thought so in the beginning. Your perfomance was rad!"

"Let go of him, he's mine", Leah growled.

"Hey, no need to lose your shit", Abigail hissed back at her and carefully stood up, even if she did it rather unelegantly.

What Leah answered was impossible for Elliott to understand, but she took his hand and pulled him up. When he was drunk enough, he couldn't feel anything through other persons' hands. All of his senses were blurry, without exceptions. He had found it out on his graduation party, when other students had tried to lead him out so he could breathe some fresh air.

Elliott coughed and stroked his disheveled hair out of his face.

"Gus", he called out, "May I have some more pumpkin ale?"

"I'm out of pumpkin ale, but how about some pale ale?", the bartender answered.

"I will drink literally everything you offer, I'm so thirsty", he sang.

"Mhm", Gus made and filled a fresh pitcher.

The writer filled his lungs and expressed: "You have my gratitude! Oh, beer, heavenly foaming like a--"

Something threw him back once again when he was just about to go to the bar. This time, it slammed him against the wall.

"Where do you think you're going?", a voice whispered right in front of his face. Two strong arms kept Elliott inbetween.

"Leah?", he wondered after a hiccup, "All I wanted to do is to drink. Is there anything wrong about that?"

Her face appeared sterner than ever. "Don't move. There is something I need to show you."

Despite the fact she filled almost his entire view, Elliott took a look over her shoulder.

It made his blood freeze in his veins.

Penny, the kids' tutor he had met the other day, left the saloon hastily.

She was crying.

"Whatever it is", Elliott mumbled, not focussing Leah at all, "It will have to wait." He unheedingly swept one of Leah's arms away and went after Penny.

Obviously Leah hadn't seen why Elliott left so quickly. "What's going on?", she called after him.

After a few unsteady steps, he came to a standstill once more.

What could he say? No way he would expose Penny in her obviously dire situation.

"The air is too stuffy in here. I just need a few moments for myself. Don't come after me! I'll be right back."

Elliott grabbed his coat to offer it – Penny had left without hers.

Then he was gone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What may have gotten into Leah?
> 
> _______________________________________
> 
> I updated tags and rating.


	40. Temerity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elliott experiences a rollercoaster of emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, finally!

_16th November_

_Porch of the Stardrop Saloon_

_Pelican Town, Ferngill Republic_

 

Out in the cold night, the fog in Elliott's head cleared up a little bit. He was still far away from being sober, still the clean air made him feel a little more collected.

Penny stood on the porch of the saloon, her face turned away from the door, with hanging shoulders and quietly sobbing.

"Penny, take my jacket. It is too cold for you to stay unprotected."

First, she flinched at the sound of Elliott's voice, but then she relaxed a bit.

Without turning around, she accepted his offering.

"Thank you", she mumbled and hung it over her much too small shoulders.

"There are some handkerchiefs in my right pocket", Elliott mumbled, feeling a bit sheepish, "If you need one...or more...feel free to use them."

"Mh", Penny made and let her hand slide into the pocket in a furtive way. "If you don't mind, could you leave me alone?"

Her voice almost broke. Of the things Elliott could only take over his dead body, defenseless sad woman ranked very high.

"I could, but I am certain it would hurt both of us terribly", Elliott replied, "I am here for you. Turn around and tell me your worries, will you?"

Strangely, Penny didn't react at all. She did neither answer nor move. As if time froze, the two of them stood on the porch and nothing happened.

In the moment Elliott wanted to ask again, she suddenly turned around, jumped at him and sobbed frantically. With her slim fingers clawing at his shirt, she slapped her forehead against his chest and cried out her pain.

It all happened so quick that Elliott felt dizzy for a moment. Obviously everybody threw him around on this evening, but the impact of Penny's filigrane body was much smaller than the impact Abigail's hips had caused.

"There there...everything will be fine." He gently pat her shoulder, almost scared to break her even with the softest touch.

"I feel so filthy!", Penny wailed.

"Why would you?", Elliott wondered, keeping his voice low, "You are a wonderful person. You are graceful, elegant and you do a lot for Pelican Town!"  
"No, you don't understand." She raised her head high and stared into his moss green eyes. "I live with my abusive alcoholic mother and I despise her for everything she did to me."

Elliott hissed as if he just burned his hand on a hotplate. "Penny, I didn't know. I am so sorry."

"And now look at me. I am just like her. I can barely stand. I am a disgrace."

"Stop it, you aren't--"

"Why did I do this?", Penny asked herself quietly.

"Penny, listen to me." With his gentlest touch, Elliott raised her chin. Her eyes grew wider as she once again peered into his eyes.

A tiny sigh crawled out of his throat. His thoughts were heavy, hard to pick up, the words so slippery that he could hardly express them.

In the end, he explained: "There is a huge difference between _going to a party_ and _being alcoholic_. Whatever your mother did, you are not responsible. You may still have fun without feeling guilty."

"Perhaps you are right." Penny shook her head, "Still I completely overdid it today. I don't feel like partying anymore."

"For somebody who "overdid it", you are still good, I suppose. Anyway, if you have enough for today, it's better if I bring you home now."

"No", Penny murmured, "I'd rather go alone. I don't want you to come with me."

Deriving from the embarressed look on her face, Elliott assumed that there was more she didn't like to talk about. "Although I would like to accept this, I can't. The night is cold and dark, no way I would let you go alone."

"You shouldn't see my house."

Chuckling in amusement, Elliott answered: "Penny, it can't be that bad. I live in a shabby little cabin at the beach. Everything is better than this, as long as it's not a tent."

"You live at the beach?", she wondered, the tears still glistening in her big eyes.

"I do, and though I enjoy it, it may seem outlandish and threadbare to others. Either way, you can trust me when I say: Never would I laugh about your house. I will bring you home, nothing more, nothing less. Is that okay for you?"

After a few seconds of thoughtful silence, Penny said: "I suppose I have no other choice."

Elliott nodded and offered his arm to Penny. Much to his own discomfort, it was her who had to lead him, although it was supposed to be the other way round. He could hardly walk straight and almost lost his balance on the stairs in front of the saloon in a sudden approach of breathtaking dizziness.

"It's not very far away", Penny explained after a few steps, "We can actually see it from here."

"Is it the house next to that trailer?"

"Ummm...it IS the trailer."

"Really?", Elliott mumbled. "Why would you feel bad about it?"

When they approached the tiny plain trailer, Elliott could see a box next to its door, filled to the brim with empty beer and wine bottles.

"That's why", Penny said with a sad tone, "When we met for the first time, yesterday, I was very sad, you obviously noticed. My mother had an extremely bad day, she was drunk in the morning already, threw the empty bottles through her room, yelled at me for literally everything. I collected those bottles so she wouldn't trip over them and hurt herself."

With growing astonishment, Penny watched Elliott's face change. He closed his eyes as if he was experiencing physical pain. With crimped lips, he shook his head. "I cannot believe it. How despicable and cruel! Do you at least have a room for yourself? Somewhere you can hide?"

"My room is half as small as your cabin. I mostly use the library when I need to retreat."

His heart shattered. Seeing a pure and friendly person like Penny experiencing such horror made him want to do everything possible to help her. In his current state, Elliott almost wanted to give his cabin to Penny, even if that meant he had to sleep underwater.

He moaned: "Words can hardly express how sorry I am. In another life, I would have opened the gates to hell just to get you out of there, but I gave everything away...I'm afraid there is not much I can do."

"What do you mean,  _in another life_ ?", she wanted to know.

"Now that you told me about yours, it seems like I have to tell you about mine. Will you promise not to tell anyone?"

Penny nodded silently.

"Good", Elliott proceeded and told her with a suppressed voice: "Before I came to Stardew Valley, I was part of a rich family. By rich, I don't mean privileged, I mean damn filthy rich. Probably I would have found a way to help you, but I gave it all away. Every chance, all of the connections I had through my parents, the money, the luxury..."

"What?", Penny whispered, disbelief in her concerned face. "Why would you leave it all behind?"

"It's a long story full of bitterness. Probably it would make you even sadder than you already are. Once there will be the proper opportunity to tell you."

"If you say so...go back to the others, before somebody starts looking for us. Elliott, would you do me a favor?"

"Always", he ensured to her.

"Will you keep this a secret? I mean, everyone knows about my mother, but my little breakdown on the porch? I don't want the others to think bad about me, just because I had a bit too much wine."

The most precious gentle smile lightened his face. "Of course. My lips are sealed."

"Th-thank you", she stammered. She hesitated for a moment, but then she stood on tiptoe, laid her hands onto Elliott's shoulders and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

He shuddered. How wonderfully soft Penny's lips were, as if she stroked his cheek with the fluffiest down feather, and how awfully short this moment was. Before Elliott even realized what was happening, it was already over. She gave him back his coat afterwards. With shivers running down his spine, he watched how Penny scurried over to the trailer door.

Finally, she turned around once again. With flushed cheeks and a shy smirk on her lips, she said:

"That...was nice. Thank you so much, Elliott. ...Good night."

"It was!", he corroborated her statement with one hand on the spot Penny had just blessed. "Good night, Penny."

Opening the squaking door just a little bit, Penny sneaked in and closed it quietly.

For a few seconds, Elliott couldn't move. He just stood there with a big grin on his warm face.

The void in his heart was gone, completely taken over by this fuzzy feeling that made him sure he had done everything right.

No money in the world could buy him this impression.

Suddenly, a distant voice hit his ear.

"Elliott!", it called out, "Are you okay?"

While he put his arms into the sleeves of his woollen coat, he answered: "I'm fine! Wait, I'll be coming back immediatly."

The voice had, of course, been Leah's. Elliott could already see her standing on the porch.

Before he reached the stairs, she already came towards him with unsteady steps.

"Be careful, Leah, or else you might--"

It was too late. Her foot slipped on the second last of the wooden steps. Leah lost her balance and landed in Elliott's arms.

"What are you doing?", he wondered after he had found his balance again. "I was already coming, why didn't you just wait?"

"That's because...I wanted to show you something, like I already told you. Down here, it's even better. It's a bit more secluded here."

Her voice was suppressed and suspiciously quiet. With her hair down, Leah looked strangely wild, like the most beautiful flower on a lonely meadow in a forest.

Temerity glistened in her eyes.

Elliott gave her a suspecting look. "What could you possibly show me out here if nobody is supposed to see?"

Without answering him, Leah grabbed his upper arms with unneeded harshness. It happened so quick that it left Elliott completely flabbergasted. In the next second, all he could see were Leah's closed eyes between strands of her copper hair as she pressed her body against his.

With his lips on hers.

For a few moments, he couldn't feel anything besides Leah's kiss. His lips stayed unmoved while he tried to process what happened. Leah quietly moaned, briefly stroked Elliott's hands, but he was far beyond the point of clear senses. No touch could reach his mind anymore.

He was also unable to enjoy the kiss in any way because it happened too quick, and besides – he didn't even want to do it.

When Elliott could feel that Leah started to fumble around on the waistband of his jeans, the pain kicked in. A furious, raging anguish set him ablaze. The grief over rejected love he just overcame came back to life with a roar.

Angrily, Elliott grabbed Leah's wrists, disengaging their connection, and took a few very slow steps backwards.

"How could you do this to me?", he wanted to know.

"I realized that I love you!", Leah yelled out, "I don't want Kel anymore! I took my time to think, and now I know that I want you and nobody else!"

"Are you serious? Now that I overcame the fact that you rejected me? I was just starting to enjoy life again, and now you suddenly realize that you wanted me after all? You can't just force me to come back, just because you made up your mind!"

"But I..." Her breath went faster as she realized how mad she had made him. "I didn't want to force you...I thought you want it as well!"

Elliott took some fitful breaths and mumbled: "I don't know." He couldn't take the sad look on Leah's face, how desparetely she stared at him, the entire situation made him want to scream.

"We should discuss this after we had a night of sleep", he proceeded, "Neither of us are in the right condition to decide about our future. Come on, I'll bring you home."

Allowing no contradiction, he gently took Leah's hand and lead her away from the saloon as good as he could. He went ahead while Leah followed with tiny, clumsy steps. The cobblestones in Elliott's view twisted, turned and merged together to one  indefinable, grey surface with blurred edges. With his free hand, he rubbed the spot between his eyes. What a dreadful end for an evening that started out enjoyable and funny. He hoped that he would somehow wake up at the bar after having just one beer too much.

“I mean it”, Leah mumbled behind him. “I truly adore you with all my heart. Give me a chance...give **us** a chance. Please, Elliott.”  
He raised his hand from his forehead. “Give me my time to think about it!”, he insisted, but avoided any further discussion.

Elliott knew well enough that he would give in if Leah begged him often enough.

Step by step, they made their way through the poorly lighted town. The nearby stream was an orientation for Elliott. Probably he wouldn't have found the way without it. Finally the trees of cindersap forest presaged the soon end of their way. Another short while later, Leah's little house appeared between the trees.

She started to fumble around in her pockets, not letting go of Elliott's hand. He stared at the fragile connection, wishing he could just let go, but he didn't dare.

After a while that seemed like eternity, she unlocked the door and stumbled in. Normally, Elliott would have stayed outside, but there was something in the house he wanted to take with him.

Something that Leah did not need anymore.

Carelessly as always, she threw her shoes into a corner and plopped down on her bed.

“Well, is there anything else I can help you with?”, Elliott asked and couldn't suppress a bitter tone.

“You could hand me that bucket over there”, Leah answered and pointed at a tiny bucket that probably contained paint once, before she emptied it. “Just in case”, she added quietly.

“Just in case?”, he repeated and felt that his limbs started to shake subliminally. Sickness was something that made him want to leave everything behind and run, almost like a phobia if it wasn't one anyway. Everything about it scared him: The sound, the smell, the feeling of helplessness and the urge to throw up himself that resulted from whenever he witnessed anyone doing so. Small drips of sweat formed on his forehead. He forced himself to stay where he was.

“Yes, I don't know, I just feel a bit strange. I suppose it's just the nervousness that makes me weak”, Leah explained.

“I hope so”, Elliott murmured and put down the bucket next to the bed with outstretched arms and fingers. In the meantime, Leah had already lied down, eyes closed.

With trembling hands, he wiped his forehead. Then he found his script on Leah's desk. He wanted to be sure, who knew what Leah could do if she was mad at him. She was his friend, but he didn't know her long enough to entrust her with something so precious in a situation like this.

Elliott grabbed it greedily and checked if it was still complete, which it luckily was.

He glanced Leah one last time. Her arm rested on her eyes.

“Good night”, he whispered.

Leah muttered something he couldn't understand. It didn't matter anyway.

Carefully he sneaked out of her house. When he closed the door behind him, he took a moment to sort his feelings. The confusion made Elliott's view even blurrier and his legs weaker. While he was happy because his script was safe in his hands, he was angry as well. What Leah had done was heedless, and he would need time to decide about the consequences.

First, Elliott stumbled back into the saloon. He needed at least twice as long as he would need normally, but at least nobody saw him.

Gus raised his head from a pitcher he just dried when the door flew open.

“Elliott, finally! I almost started to worry. Are you okay? Where is Leah?”

He watched his guest shamble through the room and to the counter.

“Everything's okay”, he lied with an concerned expression. “I brought Leah home and Penny as well. They had enough for today.”

The barkeeper nodded. “I forced Shane to go home also. You still have your beer, just in case you forgot.”

“No, thanks”, Elliott shouted over the loud singing of Abigail and Sam in the corner. “It would be a bad idea. Let me pay and then I'll go home.”

“Are you still in the right condition to head home all by yourself?”

“Why not”, he babbled in a sluggish voice, “Leah wasn't a big help either. Might take me a while, but I'll be fine.”

Gus obviously believed him, at least he took Elliott's money and wished him a good night.

Time did not matter anymore. Probably he needed an eternity to make his way, but Elliott didn't care. He sung a meaningless popsong into the cold night, with the wrong melody and unidentifiable lyrics. At least it distracted him a bit. He stumbled many times and almost fell, reeling so badly that he needed the entire footpath for himself.

Somewhen, he kicked open the door to the cabin. Elliott threw his script onto the desk, loosened his tie and let himself fall down on his knees in front of the bed. With a pillow on his head and his face in the mattress, Elliott cut his overwrought senses from new impressions. He had seen and heard enough for one day, and he became very emotional when drunk. Mostly, it was okay because parties like this were supposed to be funny. Usually Elliott would laugh for the rest of the evening and tell stories nobody should know about.

Being kissed by two women in three minutes lead him into the other extreme.

He whined into the mattress and clenched his hands around the soft, warm blanket. Somehow he knew he would be embarressed about it the next day, but he considered it to be his smallest problem in this vulnerable condition. A stormcloud of gloomy thoughts started to spiral in Elliott's head, unable to find a solution in his dilemma.

Elliott wished for someone to guide him while he soaked the bed with his tears, somebody he could ask. Should he give in to Leah, risking their friendship? What about Penny, anyway? Her kiss alone was confusing enough.

He needed a friend he could talk to, but Gunther would most likely be asleep at this time of the day.

Suddenly, Elliott fell silent and raised his head from the bed. Somebody called out for him. Remaining quiet, he waited for another call, but there was nothing.

At first he wanted to lie down once more, still he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was going on outside.

Slowly he stood up, almost losing his balance while doing so, opened the door and just stuck out his head.

Nothing. The grey waves peacefully glided over the sand while thick clouds darkened the nocturnal scenery.

“...Hello?”, Elliott called out timidly. If he hadn't been so sure about the fact that he was being watched, he would have went to sleep. The day had been long and eventful enough to exhaust him.

“Who's there?” He tried it once again, louder this time.

An etherial glowing shone from under the surface of the Gem Sea, as if it wanted to answer Elliott's question, and suddenly he understood.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited the pairings... "implied Elliott / various characters" seemed more fitting by now.  
> I never imagined that Penny would kiss him somewhen, it...just happened? Do you know that strange feeling when your characters develop their "own minds" and just do what they want to?


	41. The Gem Sea at Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some interesting hints distract Elliott from his twisted feelings.

_16th November_

_Inside of the Gem Sea_

_Cantea_

 

Now that he knew what awaited him, Elliott was calmer when his transformation started. The same prickling sensation as before overcame him as his body adapted to the ocean. He kept control, not like the first time when he sank deeper because he didn't know what he became.

As soon as he had entered the water, the white glowing under the surface faded. Its source waited deeper in the water, graceful as always. Her nacre hair flowed around her in soft waves. This time, she was wearing a snail shell necklace and her starfish crown.

Princess Chrysoula was waiting.

Elliott approached her as quickly as he could, which was, in fact, very slow. His tail fin didn't quite do what he wanted it to do, it was hard to control under the influence of alcohol and distracting emotions.

The princess raised one hand. "Greetings, Elliott", she said with a tiny smile. "I know it is late. I wanted to visit you tomorrow, but I felt your aura was still vivid, so I made my way."

"Good evening", he replied.

"If you allow, you look awful. What happened to you?", Chrysoula wanted to know.

"Well, thank you, I suppose. I had a rough evening, it's a bit of a longer story."

She looked into her cousin's flushed face, his tousled hair, his eyes reddish because he obviously cried. Once she heard that humans emit water from their eyes when they are sad.

"I see. If you say so. Anyway, what I came here for, I did the research like I promised."

"Really?", Elliott called out while his worries about Leah sneaked into the background of his attention. "You mean, about my father?"

"Yes. I discussed with our best mages about whether it is possible to be turned into a human permanently. Furthermore I asked them how our markings could disappear."

A spark of hope lighted up in Elliott's heart. The last secrets about his bloodline were about to be revealed. He tried to stay calm when he asked: "So what did you find out?"

Chrysoula put her hands behind her back and took a few moments before she explained: "It is my servants' opinion that it is highly unlikely that we can be transformed into humans permanently. They are absolutely sure that your father will still develop fins and gills whenever he enters any ocean, because none of them knows any sorcery which could change that."

Elliott remembered holidays with his parents, being alone in the sea with his mother while his father would sternly watch them from the beach. When he was too young to understand, Elliott asked him over and over again if he would join them. Somewhen he accepted that it was impossible to get his father into the water.

"That makes sense somehow", he pondered, "But what about the missing letters on his skin?"

She explained: "We are very certain that it is possible to hide them, but only through black magic, just as I already assumed. It is incredibly dangerous, even life-threatening. If Daveth did indeed use black magic to blend into humanity, he possibly took the risk of his own death."

Her cousin swallowed a curse. For a minute, Elliott wondered what could have happened. Usually, a son wouldn't want to think about the death of his mother or father, but just for the blink of an eye, he gave in.

"I suppose he was hexed before I was born. He left you forty years ago when he was still a child himself, and I doubt he waited twenty years to get rid of anything that could reveal his bloodline. I'd love to know who bewitched him."

Chrysoula mentioned: "It isn't impossible that Daveth is the sorcerer himself, although this is a biased statement of our king. He wouldn't be surprised if your father is depraved enough to learn something as  reprehensible as black magic. Speaking for myself, I do not think so because it takes decades to learn it. You told us that your father spends all of his time by earning money. I suppose it's unlikely that he could be a magician.”

“How are your parents doing, by the way?”, Elliott wanted to know.

“They are fine, thank you for asking. My mother asked a lot of questions about you, more than I could answer. She'd love to know what life above the surface is like. Father, however, spoke to our people about you.”  
“He did what?”, he called out in shock, much louder than necessary. “That means everyone in Rahi hates me now! Why did he do that?”

“Elliott, what was he supposed to do? We have been seen on our way to the castle, and although nobody read whose son you are, enough people saw that almost your entire body is covered with black letters! They knew that anyone with such a huge amount of scripture can't just be a simple prisoner. To stop the rumors, father had to tell them. He owes it to our species, they deserve the truth.”

“Oh, dearest Yoba.” Elliott let himself sink to the ground and sat down in the grainy sand. The tip of his tail fin made tiny movements from right to left which he couldn't control, probably an underwater equivalent of goosebumps.

He glimpsed Chrysoula and the mild way she looked at him, a portrayal of mercy and clemency. Somehow Elliott felt dirty and unworthy in her near, which was no wonder in his current unstable state of mind. His heart sank even deeper when he thought of Leah and Penny again.

The princess proposed: “How about you lay down and sleep? It is quite late by now and I can clearly see you are done for the day.”  
“Is it safe for me to sleep underwater?”, Elliott wondered.

“If you go just a bit deeper into the sea, it is. I will guard you until the morning. Nothing will happen to you.”  
“You don't have to guard me”, he mumbled and felt a bit embarressed.

“I don't _have_ to, but I can't shake off the feeling that you could use the company tonight. Follow me, it will make you feel better.”

After all, Elliott decided to give it a try. He followed Chrysoula in a sluggish demeanor, swimming only millimetres above the ground.

She explained: “Just lay down in the sand, there is no shelter that near to the coast. When you wake up, I will already be gone, but you will still be safe from anything that could trouble you. Trust me.”

When he stopped his movement, he softly hit the sand.

“It feels strange to just lie down somewhere in the open water while you watch me”, he mumbled while he folded his hands under his forehead, but he was too tired to seriously care. Because he started to feel slightly weird in this position, he rolled onto his back and stared into his cousin's eyes.

Worries darkened her face. “You are talking differently than before. Are you under the influence of drugs?”

Elliott chuckled slowly, but exhilarated. Chrysoula's way of talking was outlandish to him, but still funny. “Something similar. Do drugs exist underwater as well?”

“Yes, they do, but there aren't much in the Gem Sea. In warmer waters, like in the Pearl Sea, there are species which contain hallucinogenics. The effort isn't worth it, so almost nobody in Rahi has ever tried them.”

“I am so eager to learn more about you. If your people won't kill me because of my lineage, I'd love to come over again, maybe even for two or three days. Phew...I'll seize the opportunity and rest a bit, if you don't mind.”

“That's what I'm here for”, Chrysoula said, “Maybe I'll try a bit of my cleansing magic on you. You would feel better in the morning.”

“Mhm”, he made with closed eyes.

As the moonlight broke through the clouds and the surface of the Gem Sea, Elliott was already asleep. Finally he retreated into the depths of subconsciousness, where his screaming mind calmed down and his raging heart could rest. Although his sleep was deep and refreshing, he almost did not dream at all.

Chrysoula loved the nighttime. The ocean was a quieter place then. All she heard was the gentle soughing of the waves that stroked her back on their way to the shore, besides the tiny breathing sound Elliott made.

The residents of Rahi were already asleep, another reason why she prefered to be awake at night. She was free from their expectations, free from their worship. Because of her stunning magical talent and the way it saved her compatriots from pollution, Chrysoulawas worshipped like a goddess. Little did they understand that she was still a child inside and never free of shortcomings. When she was on her own, she tried to catch up the years she lost in isolation, and she tried to forget that many lives depended on her.

Maybe, just maybe, Chrysoula could open up to Elliott some day, and show him the person beneath the monarch. If she was lucky, he would understand that she thought about leaving the ocean from time to time, a fantasy she could be killed for if she told anyone else.

For now, she sat down next to him and guarded him from anything that might harm him. She watched him breathe, how his chest slowly moved up and down.

Both of them were at peace in this night, far away from their problems. There would be enough time to fight their daily fights the next day.

 


	42. Letters

_17th November_

_24 Hill Lane_

_Fosving, Ferngill Republic_

 

 

When Porcia looked back at her life, she assumed she must have felt earlier that she couldn't go on.

She didn't.

This morning, she woke up and already had enough. It just came that quickly.

She opened her grey eyes and stared at the ceiling.

What was it for?

An underwhelming job full of sexual innuendos? Is this what her mother wanted her to have?

Sighing silently, Porcia stood up from the couch in her living-room, which was the bedroom as well. Twenty-five square metres crammed with her stuff, an unpleasant mess because Porcia never found the energy to seriously tidy it up. Rather than that, she spent her power on her punching bag while she imagined to batter everyone at Joja.

Like always, she didn't bother to make her bed and carelessly threw her pajamas onto it, walking into the kitchen completely naked. Her dad had bought her thick opaque curtains and even hung them for her to make sure nobody could stare at his precious daughter.

The punching practice didn't help Porcia with her chubbiness. Losing four or five kilos would have done her good, but she still felt okay with herself.

She started her day by having a bowl of cornflakes in front of the television. There was an unimportant program about celebrities Porcia mostly hadn't even heard about until then, but it filled her room with quiet voices and it made her feel better that way.

Although her apartment was full, it was also empty somehow, almost nothing had a high worth, neither economically nor emotionally. What she loved most was her laptop, her handheld console followed shortly after, make-up was important also. Her biggest treasure was the engagement ring her mother was supposed to wear.

Lawrence, Porcia's father, had never dared to throw it away, even though he had had other relationships since then and even though her mother never got to wear it. She died unexpectedly, torn out of life in the blink of an eye.

Like so many times before, she stared at the silver ring on her left ring finger. It was slim and simple, with three tiny white sparkling gems on it, fake diamonds, but it didn't matter. What it expressed was more important: unconditional love.

Furthermore, it was constantly reminding Porcia that life isn't fair.

After lurking around on the couch for much too long, she finally stood up and commenced putting on make-up in front of the mirror in the bathroom.

A thick layer of red lipgloss completed her simple look.

While she sang one of her favorite songs, she straightened her ultramarine hair and wondered whether she would still do it when she was a farmer. Her hair would look messy after a long day of hard work anyhow.

Porcia knew which kind of responsibility was waiting for her in Stardew Valley, but she didn't know if she was ready yet. At least it seemed ungodly alluring in this weak moment.

The letter she received from her grandfather after his death was still sealed in its envelope, waiting in a drawer of Porcia's desk.

Maybe she would finally take a look at it when she came home from work. Adam had passed away years ago and Porcia had never dared to open his letter. The certainty about her inheritance had weighed on her shoulders heavy enough. Her father told her after the notary had read Adam's testament.

He had already suggested that Porcia could just sell it if she didn't want to be a farmer. She had declined, and both of them were silent about this topic since then.

Probably it was time that both of them talked about it once again.

 

* * *

 

 

Elliott woke up in blueness.

His body felt pleasantly heavy from the sleepiness that still lingered in his limbs. However, his mind was light and alert, despite the fact he had drunk the evening before.

He blinked a few times and lethargically wagged his tail fin. Whatever Chrysoula had done to him, he couldn't feel better. Usually, the smallest amounts of beer would cause him a headache, but instead, Elliott was refreshed. The wrath about Leah did not affect his body anymore – he stayed calm and he knew that they would find a solution somehow.

The only question was: How? To decide about that sensitive topic, he needed to know what he even wanted.

Folding his hands on his chest, Elliott stared at the surface. Bright sunlight shone into his face, the quiet background noise of his underwater surroundings carressed his ear. He assumed that it would be a great place to write in, if his paper and ink were waterproof.

Sighing quietly, he thought of Leah and imagined her face with every detail. The way her copper hair embellished her angelic face was still special to Elliott and always would be. She could persuade him to do pretty much everything with her irresistible stone grey eyes.

Love, however, did not count anymore.

He got up, stretched his arms and his fin and focused on other presences in his near.

Nothing.

Perfect.

Elliott made his way back to the beach. He wondered where Willy was, but probably he was fishing in the lake near the mountains. The farther away, the better.

At first, he extended his hands and dug his fingers into the wet sand. Then he pulled his body out of the sea and crawled onto the beach. With an annoyed moan, Elliott stroked some dripping, sticky strands of his mane out of his face, coughed a bit and wiped the salt water out of his eyes...

When he opened his eyes again, two boots stood in the sand millimetres before him.

Although the air in his lungs was still fresh, Elliott gasped it out at once, frozen in shock. Two pointed black leather boots just stood there and waited.

While a quiet horror grew in him, Elliott slowly raised his head to see who found him.

He recognized him immediatly. It was the man who had watched Elliott at the Stardew Valley Fair, the one who Leah had just called “the wizard”.

The wizard gave Elliott an emotionless stare, his mouth unmoved under his violet moustache, his small eyes with wrinkles around them completely unmoved.

Once again, there was silence between them for a while.

Eventually, Elliott raised his shaking voice. The panic slowly turned into agony. After all, a stranger had seen him in his transformed state, possibly a death sentence if Chrysoula didn't overdo her statement.

“How is this possible”, Elliott whispered up to the man.

“I can hide my presence from you. As you already know, I study the spirit world and arcane energies. This is one of the easiest things a magician can do.”

In the meantime, Elliott slowly transformed back into the human form he was used to. “What do you want from me? I will do everything. Just don't tell anyone, please! What will I have to do?”

The magician made an uninterested gesture with his hand. “I don't even care about what you are. Everything I want from you is to give you a letter. I placed it in front of your house, but then I saw you and decided to talk to you in person.”

With slightly wobbly legs, Elliott stood up and looked into the man's eyes.

“What kind of letter is it?”, he wanted to know.

“It is an invitation. Visit me at my tower somewhen this week – there is something I want to know of you.”

  
Elliott contradicted: “How about you tell me now? I'm right here.”

The wizard, however, declined: “Pardon, but I refuse. Come over to my tower in Cindersap Forest and I will answer all of your questions.”

All of a sudden, a sharp breeze came up and hit Elliott's face with its unrelenting cold harshness. He quickly covered his eyes with an arm to protect himself.

When he opened his eyes again, the wizard was gone.

 

Much to Elliott's discomfort, he was left with even more questions than before.

 

 


	43. Edgar

Elliott had found the wizard's letter in front of his cabin shortly after, with one half under the door so it wouldn't be blown away by a sudden gust of wind. The envelope and paper were silky to the touch, the letters written with fine dark purple ink.

 

_My sources tell me you have met somebody I am interested in._

_Why don't you pay me a visit?_

_My chambers are west of the forest lake, in the stone tower. I may be able to answer your questions concerning...curses._

_\- M. Rasmodius, Wizard_

 

Still feeling numb, Elliott threw open the door rather unelegantly, plopped down on his bed and stared at the letter for minutes. Neither did he know what “sources” was supposed to mean exactly, neither did he have an idea who the special person the wizard was interested in could be. What made him even more nervous was the fact that curses were mentioned. He hadn't talked about that above the surface.

Maybe there was a snitch among the king's servants, but Elliott wiped the thought away immediatly. None of them was able to transform.

On the other hand, they could just talk to the wizard at the coast around nighttime, when everyone else was asleep.

Pondering about possibilities didn't change anything. Instead, Elliott decided to make haste and get going. He found milk and berries in his supplies and put them in a bowl. While he sat down and snacked on his breakfast, he thoughtfully stared at the claymore in the corner opposite of his bed. Nobody could know what awaited him, so he decided to take it with him, just in case. If the wizard was no danger, it was still possible that Elliott would have to defend himself against smaller monsters, depending on how deep the tower was situated inside of the forest.

He left the house in a dark red waistcoat, the sword on his back and the letter in his pocket.

Elliott took one last deep breath to brace himself, then he left.

Against his expectation, he stopped only a few metres later. When he arrived on Willow Lane, something colorful caught his attention. It flew above him, only a few metres above the ground, and Elliott discovered it to be a parrot, much to his surprise. He had never seen one in the wilderness, took a second look just to be sure, but there was no doubt. The bird was smaller than Franklin had been, his own parrot, and Elliott's heart started to ache for the blink of an eye. There was no time to bring Franklin back into his mind though. Instead, he had an eye on the wild one which had obviously lost its way. It flew at a breathtaking pace, back and forth as if it was looking for something.

Unfortunately, its search ended quickly when it flew against a window. The dull booming sound of its body on the glass made Elliott scream out a little. In silent terror, he watched how the parrot sank down to the ground, lying there on his back unmoving.

Losing no time, Elliott ran and fell on his knees right before the injured bird.

“Oh no, oh no...”, he mumbled over and over again, his heart beating so fast that he could feel his pulse in every muscle. Drips of sweat broke out on his forehead as he picked the surprisingly heavy parrot up as carefully as somehow possible.

With one single outstretched finger, Elliott gently stroked the soft green feathers on its belly. When he felt a movement under his finger, he sighed. The parrot was still breathing and opened its eyes in the same moment.

The door of the house the parrot had just hit flew open. Emily jumped out, her bright blue hair looked tousled. Her eyes widened as she tried to comprehend the scenery. “Oh, dearest Yoba, Elliott!”, she called out, “What happened?”  
“Emily, it's terrible!”, he replied in shock, “This parrot hit your window. I believe it's hurt...”

“Let me see.” She kneeled down opposite to Elliott and laid one hand under the left wing. Both of them realized it looked deformed, it had also lost a feather. The remaining ones stood out in various directions.

“The wing is broken”, Emily mumbled, “If our little friend can cope with the shock, he will make it.”

Elliott knew that birds could very well die due to the plain stress an impact like this caused. With slow strokes, he caressed the bird that still looked dazed. He could feel its raving heartbeat under his finger.

“You poor thing”, he whispered and made little clicking sounds with his tongue. The parrot's eyes grew wider. It was obviously interested.

Meanwhile, Emily watched him with growing amazement. “You have a talent when it comes to birds, is that possible?”

“Oh, I'm not sure whether I would call it a talent, but I can access all kinds of animals quickly. Birds, however, are definitely one of my weak spots.”

  
“Mine too! Birds are my favorite animals!”, Emily answered. Elliott noticed the way she looked at him, and they shared a deep stare into each other's eyes. Although they have been connected by a small catastrophe, they could smile a bit, hoping for a happy end.

She proceeded: “I will bandage the broken wing. Come with me, will you?”

Her house was cozy and warm. Elliott could smell nail polish when they walked through the living-room. He spotted some gossip magazines on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“Sorry, it smells a bit in here”, Emily murmured, “That's Haley's nail polish. She's out at the moment, but it keeps lingering in the air for hours.”

It changed when they entered Emily's room. A strange herbal waft was around them, but Elliott didn't know which kind of plant smelled that way. At least it wasn't unpleasant at all. He took a quick look around himself, but didn't quite focus on what he saw. The big table in the middle of the room, covered with sewing supplies and colorful pieces of cloth, stood out the most.

Emily fetched a cotton bandage and scissors out of a little closet.

“Can you hold him like this?”, she requested.

“Just like I already am?”

“Yes, stay still.”

“How do you know it's a boy?”, Elliott wondered, making Emily laugh out.

“Oh, I don't. We will probably never know, so I just say it is one. Let's call him Edgar. It starts with E just like our names do.”

“Emily...” Giggling nervously, Elliott pondered: “You make that sound as if we were a team.”  
She looked at him, her brown eyes glistening. “Well, aren't we? Now that we saved a parrot's life?”

Not waiting for an answer, she started to wrap Edgar's wing carefully. The bird didn't like that and angrily chirped at her hand.

Emily mumbled: “I know, but I have to do that, little one.” Without looking at Elliott, she asked: “Why do you carry a sword with you?”

"I was going to see the wizard. Because I have never been around his tower before, I want to be prepared for everything."  
"Okay. I thought you wouldn't want to settle your argument with Leah that way."

"Why is there..." He shook his head. "Is there always so much gossip around here? How could you know about our kiss?"

  
"Kiss?" Emily raised her chin and gave him her most surprised face. "I didn't know that love is involved. I met Leah in the morning. She was frantic, but she didn't want to tell me why. All she wanted to say is that it's between you and her. Well, it seems like something went terribly wrong between the two of you."

"I hate to say it, but it's complicated. To summarize it, I fell in love with Leah, but she only wanted to be friends. I overcame it quite quickly, but now Leah is the one who wants more and...she kissed me against my will, yesterday, when we were drunk. Of course I was mad, what does she expect?"

It took Emily a while to give an answer. She was focused on the broken wing. Eventually, she replied: "Phew, that's sad. I have no idea what I would do in your situation. I am unexperienced when it comes to love anyhow. My sister Haley always attracted the boys, but all I can say is: Forgive Leah. I'm sure she is sorry, and she deserves to be forgiven. No matter if you still want a relationship or not, the two of you should talk about it as soon as possible."

"You're right", Elliott said, "I should visit her before I go into the forest."

"Alright, we're done here!" She put down the scissors and shoved her sewing supplies aside. "Place Edgar on the table."

He nodded and grabbed the bird quickly so he wouldn't fly away. When Edgar was sat down on the table, he looked around and made a few careful steps. Then he tried to lift his wings, but only raised the unharmed one as the broken wing obviously caused him pain.

Emily rejoiced: "He looks very well! I didn't think he would get up so quickly. Do you have practice with birds? You knew exactly where to grab him without being scared."

"Yes, I owned a parrot...back home", Elliott explained, "He's a bit bigger than Edgar, but of course we don't know how old Edgar is. His name is Franklin. We bought him when I was seven and his intelligence amazed me over and over again."

  
Guessing from his sad expression, Emily supposed: "You miss him."

  
"I do. Most people would say _it's just a bird_ , but Franklin was special."

  
"Forget everyone who says that! Animals can be the most loyal friends. I totally understand what you mean."

"Thank you", he said with a shy smirk, "That's very kind of you. Anyway, what now? Are you going to keep Edgar?"

"Of course." Emily grabbed her cellphone. "I'll give Haley a call so she can buy a cage. She's in the city at the moment. Will you come and visit us from time to time?"

"I will! I want to see how Edgar recovers. Even when he's better, I wouldn't mind to spend some time with you."

"We can talk about birds all we want, but I'm sure we will find more interests that we share. Thank you for your help, by the way. I wouldn't have been able to help Edgar alone. ...So you will go and talk to Leah now?"

"I suppose I will, yes." Elliott glanced the bird once more. A red spot on his forehead shimmered in the sunlight. "I will tell you how it went when I see you again."

Emily proposed: "Just come over when you like. If I'm not home, I'm most likely at the saloon. Well then...good luck, Elliott."

  
"Thank you. See you soon..."

When Elliott left Emily's house, a cold sensation tickled the tip of his nose.

He looked up to the sky and realized the first snow of the year was falling.

As a person with a colorful imagination, Elliott believed in omens. Shivers ran down his spine when he wondered if this was a bad one, but it was useless.

Whatever was between him and Leah, he would get it out of their way.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course it's based on Emily's heart event ~


	44. Father and Daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Porcia and her dad have an important talk about love, the farm and the family.

_17th November_

_Dahlberg Bakery_

_Fosving, Ferngill Republic_

 

 

When the door opened and a cold breeze flew in, Matilda assumed that it would bring a customer.

She looked up from the bread she just put into a shelf and realized it was Porcia, the granddaughter of Stanley Dahlberg, Matilda's boss. Obviously she was on her way home from her work at Joja – she still wore the black pencil skirt and a white blouse under a blazer she would never wear on a day off. Porcia had replaced her sandals with knee-high black leather boots. The first snow of the year had fallen a few days ago.

"Hi", she greeted and raised a hand, "Is my dad in the office?"

As always, Porcia didn't lose any time. Matilda knew that she had always been a person that seized opportunities rather than just to talk about them. Smalltalk annoyed her, so the employee decided to just give her the facts she wanted, although she would have loved to chat a bit.

"Yes, he is", she said, and Porcia buzzed off with a short "thanks".

She made her way through all of the rooms only employees were allowed to see, usually. The bakery was Porcia's second home, she knew it blindly after spending countless afternoons in the office. Back then, she came to the bakery after school and did her homework at her grandfather's desk.

Her father called her in when she knocked at the door.

"Ah, Polly! I didn't know you wanted to come over."

"It was a quick idea. I just hoped you would be here." She hugged her father briefly and sat down opposite of him.

Lawrence Dahlberg, the thirty-nine year old co-owner of the bakery, had turned grey early in his life, but he was confident enough to dispense with hair dye. There was something in his eyes that Porcia couldn't describe, but she assumed it made her father attractive for most women. It was a spark of natural curiosity he never lost. He was an open-minded, outgoing man and he had won enough hearts to say that he was definitely alluring somehow.

His daughter wouldn't have been mad if her father was uglier, at least he wouldn't have had so many girlfriends.

"How was work today?", he wanted to know.

"What do you expect?", she wondered, "In fact, that is exactly what I came here for."

"That sounds good!" Lawrence smiled happily and asked: "So you made up your mind? When do you want to start? I'll make everything possible for you, just tell me when--"

Without a word, Porcia slammed an envelope onto the desk. It was the one from Adam, her grandfather who passed his farm on to her. It raised the tension in the room and she could almost hear her father's pulse because he exactly knew what he was looking at.

The grinding sound of his teeth made her want to forget the farm and just stay daddy's little girl forever.

Porcia explained: "I am seriously thinking about moving to Pelican Town."  
"If that is the case, you should seriously think about staying here."

Annoyed by his answer, her shoulders sunk a bit. "Daddy, I mean it. I told you I don't want to work here, I told you so many times."  
"Maybe, but even if so, aren't you a bit too young to be a farmer?", Lawrence commented.

"Why? Mother and grandpa had no choice either, they had to help from their childhood on. They weren't alone, I know that. Who said that I am? Pelican Town is still full of nice people who are willing to help me, I'm sure. Just like it was when I was younger."

For a moment, she pondered who she still remembered. The last time she had visited her grandfather on the farm was at least ten years ago. Porcia wondered if Lewis was still the mayor. Back then, she had played with a boy in her age, his name was Sam Bradley if she wasn't mistaken. A girl named Abigail was with him. Abigail was the granddaughter of Mathew and Mona Burnett, the local shopkeepers. It was all Porcia could still remember, but she was sure more memories would awaken as soon as she arrived.

"Listen, what I want to tell you is..." Her father tapped the tabletop with his fingernail, looking for the right words. His eyebrows sunk deeper onto his small eyes, until he continued with a concerned expression: "You don't have to do this, just because Adam wanted you to. He gave his farm to you, but that means it's yours now and you can do whatever you want with it. Sell it if you'd like. First, you could use the money and second, you could stay in my near."

"You know what?", she asked, and Lawrence knew what it meant when her voice turned a bit deeper, just like now. She showed her teeth a bit and hissed: "It's just something personal because you didn't like grandpa, could that be?"

"That's not true, you know it isn't!", Lawrence contradicted, but for a short moment, he asked himself if he wasn't lying. Adam had hated Lawrence until his last breath. He blamed Lawrence for the death of Lex, his only daughter, and because Porcia had to grow up without her mother, just like Lex herself had to. Lawrence kept Porcia away from the farm so he wouldn't be confronted with Adam's hate, but he never expected that she would inherit the farm anyway.

"You are my only child and I wouldn't want you to live so far away from me", he said in the end.

"Daddy..." Porcia reached across the table and grabbed his hand while her angry face turned into a smirk. "I know that, but you can visit me. At least you own a car. It's not that far away, not like I move to a different country or something."

"The Byrolian border is closer to us than Stardew Valley."

"Maybe, but their language is harder to learn than to maintain a farm. I wouldn't want to live in the cold north, but the summers in Stardew Valley are heavenly. Grandpa was blessed with fruitful harvests. I could, you know, just work at my pace, be my own boss, and you know I hate living in the city."

Lawrence murmured: "That's what you say until you actually live there."

"I suppose I'll do it no matter what you say. I'm sorry. It's just...nothing keeps me here except you. Why would I want to wait any longer? The earlier I start, the sooner I can live off the farm. Probably it looks horrible after lying fallow for so many years", Porcia explained.

Her father sighed, scratched his forehead and looked around himself, as if he tried to find the right words. After a short while, he finally said: "There's something more I need to tell you. It's about Ester."

Humming curiously, Porcia raised her eyebrows. Ester was the first long-term relationship her father was able to maintain. They had been together for three years already, but Porcia barely noticed. She had moved out of the house shortly after Ester had moved in, not that she was a bad person, it was more of a coincidence. Porcia didn't care much about Ester, she was just there, but she knew how much better her dad felt in Ester's near, and it was okay that way. At least she seemed like an honest and kind person, and although she could never be a mother figure to Porcia because Ester was only twelve years older than her, both of them respected each other and never had quarrels until then.

"Polly, I know this is a sensitive topic for you, but Ester...I'm sure she's the one. We are going to get married."

He watched his daughter's reaction, but her face showed nothing but a little surprise. Somehow he expected a bit more anger, a little sadness, more emotion.

"Phew", she made after a few thoughtful seconds, "That's...good for you. Congrats...and stuff."

"Aren't you mad at me? A few years ago, you would have thrown a gigantic tantrum."

Staring at the engagement ring on her left hand, Porcia explained: "Not anymore. Those times are over. I know you deserve to be happy and to be honest, I'd rather see you marrying Ester than witnessing you break up with others over and over again."

Lawrence smiled happily. "You have become a mature young lady, my dear."

"Oh, both of us know that I'm still childish, but even I can be serious from time to time. When is it going to happen?"

"We aren't sure yet. The preparations will take us a lot of time, but we don't want to wait longer than two years."

"Still..." She twisted a strand of her blue hair between her fingers. "I'm happy and all, but this is no argument for me to stay here, if that is what you aimed for."  
"How are you going to attend our wedding if you have animals to care for?"

"Dad, I won't just vanish heedlessly. If I go, I'll see if somebody could look after them for one or two days. Furthermore, I don't know if I already own animals then. Most animals are expensive. Before you ask: Yes, I already read about that topic."

In the end, Lawrence gave up and sighed. "Why am I even trying to keep you here? When you say something like this, I know your decision is already made."  
"It isn't. I just think it's important to include you in my process of deciding because if I go, I'll do it soon. Starting my farm later than March is useless, I need more time beforehand in order to clean up."

"Polly, you're an adult now and fully responsible for everything you do, but never forget..." He stared directly into her eyes. "I will get you out of Stardew Valley if you want me to. You know we still have this tiny apartment for trainees in the back. It's not much, but if you need it, you will always have a shelter in case you are returning. Promise you will tell me if anything should happen."

Her smile grew even wider when she replied: "Don't think about the worst case. Let's just imagine everything goes well. Maybe they even have nicer boys in Stardew Valley."

"If anyone breaks your heart, I'll break this fucker's arms and legs one by one."  
"Uh-huh, clear. I'll keep you updated about my plans, but I'll head home now. It was a long day."

Before he gave an answer, Lawrence pulled his car keys out of his pocket and laid them onto the table. "Leave it to me, I'll drive you home."

Porcia's eyes widened. She had a license, but no car, and avoiding the crowded tram just once sounded alluring. "Are you sure? Don't you have more than enough work to do?"

"Could there be anything more important than you? No discussions, get going. I'm happy to help."

She stood up and grabbed her bag. "Do you know that you are the person I would miss the most?"

"I know", he answered, "And I know I am pretty much the only person you would seriously miss. That's why I'm so afraid you might actually leave."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kinda bad at ending. D:


	45. Nothing left to say

_17th November_

_Leah's Cottage_

_Stardew Valley, Ferngill Republic_

 

Elliott payed attention to his body language when he approached Leah's house. He straightened his back even more, held his chin up and tried to hide everything that could tell how insecure he actually felt. A snowflake melted on the tip on his nose, making him chuckle quietly to himself, but he came back to his seriousness quickly.

Much to his surprise, the door was open, just a few centimetres. When he stepped nearer, he could hear rustling paper from inside, followed by hasty steps on the wooden floor.

"Leah?", he called out and knocked at the door.

There was no reaction, only steps, now in a different direction, and something heavy fell down with a bang. It sounded as if it could have been a book.

Because his call stayed unheard, Elliott opened the door a little bit and peeked inside. Leah's cottage was a mess. Paper lied around on the ground, closets stood open, empty paint cans were lying around as if Leah accidentally fell over them. Inbetween, there was Leah herself, going through a stack of books on her desk.

"Leah", he repeated, even louder this time, "The door was open, may I come in, please?"

"Huh, what was that?", she mumbled to herself and turned around. She flinched at the sight of Elliott's head. "Oh...i-it's you...good morning?"

The nervous stammering filled Elliott's mind with doubtfulness. With crimped eyebrows, he asked: "Is there anything I can help you with? It seems as if you are looking for something."

The only answer he received was Leah silently biting her lip. "Shucks", she whispered to herself with blushed cheeks.

He made two slow steps inside. "You can talk to me honestly", he offered, "No matter what happened between us, you can tell me."

"Okay, okay", she said and raised her hands, "Come in, I will confess."

Confused by her choice of words, Elliott took off his dark brown derby shoes (which he would replace with leather boots soon) and stepped through the chaos, careful not to place his feet on Leah's belongings. When he approached Leah, he noticed she didn't look quite healthy. Her eyes were framed by dark circles and her hair seemed tousled and limp, which was no wonder after a night like the last one, however.

Looking down onto the ground, Leah mumbled: "I made a big mistake."

  
"I know, but that's okay. We all do from time to time. You wouldn't want to know what I did after some nights like--"

"No, you don't understand", she interrupted him and sighed loudly, "I...lost your script."

Finally, she looked into Elliott's face. What she saw there was doubt, confusion and obviously a lack of understanding. He started to giggle nervously and asked: "Excuse me, you did...what?"

"I lost your script!", Leah repeated, louder this time, almost screaming at Elliott. "You told me how precious it is to you, and now it's gone! I had it on my desk, I know I had, but now...I can't find it anymore."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Elliott tried to stop her desperate rant, made an appeasing gesture and admitted: "You can't find it, because when I brought you home, I took it with me. It's in my cabin."

For a few seconds, Leah just stared into his eyes, completely flabbergasted with an open mouth and wide eyes.

In the end, she growled: "Seriously? I died a thousand deaths, just to hear that you took it..."

She put a hand against her head and moaned quietly. "Ow, m-my head..."

"Are you alright? You look a bit pale. Come on, sit down and rest a bit." He led Leah a few steps backwards, where her bed was. While she plopped down, Elliott kneeled right in front of her.

"I'm fine", she explained, "I just had a short night and too much stress. It's nothing, really. Anyway, what is going on in your mind? Do you think I'd...burn your belongings or something, just because something happened between you and me? Don't you trust me at all?"

"Leah, please look at it from my point of view." He wondered if he should take her hand, but dismissed the thought quickly. "This script is my only chance to make money, the most precious thing I own. This may sound mean, but if we are fully honest...the day we first met is not even two weeks ago. People sometimes do rather unlovely things under the influence of alcohol, rejected love or both. I had to protect my script because I wouldn't have been able to forgive you and me if anything happened."

With closed eyes, she shook her head. "It hurts, Elliott. It just hurts to know that you neither trust me nor..." She didn't finish her sentence.

"I am utterly sorry, Leah. I didn't mean to hurt you in any way. On the other hand, I can't change my feelings toward you. A relationship between us wouldn't work. Although it almost causes me physical pain to say it, I know it wouldn't."

"Why?", she shouted and ignored that her headache punished her with even more force. "You said you love me, why do you reject me then?"

Elliott thought about his answer for a while. In the end, he explained: "I don't want to force it. Since you told me that you don't want to have a relationship, I settled with that fact. Now that I'm okay with that, I can't just switch my feelings into the other direction. It doesn't work that way. Although I know this sentence is a bit of a cliche, my opinion is...it's better if we stay friends."

Leah whispered a silent curse and buried her face in her hands. After a deep sigh, she put her hands onto her knees and said: "Okay, but I might need a few days to get over it. ...Wait, why do you carry a sword with you?"

"I am going to see the wizard. Because I have never been that deep in the forest around here, I want to be prepared. Who knows if monsters await me...the memory of the last encounter still sends shivers down my spine."

"What does your scar look like by now?", Leah wanted to know.

With cautious movements, Elliott rolled up his waistcoat and shirt to reveal the scar. It still looked fresh, bright pink in color, and stood out from the surrounding white skin.

Amazement was in Leah's eyes when she stared at the fifteen centimetre long line, half as thick as her index finger. "To be honest, I would have lost my nerves as well."

He mumbled: "I have never been in a situation like this. I already told you that everything added up and became too much. Looking back, I wouldn't react like this again, but my heart was strangled by agony. The air was stiff and got stuck in my lungs while the world started to..."

"Elliott, you are being over-dramatic."

"Excuse me?"

"Whatever", Leah answered, "Why would you want to see the wizard? You said you saw him yesterday, but...?"  
"To be honest, I don't know yet. We'll talk about that after I..." He stopped his sentence when he noticed that Leah's expression changed. Her lips started to tremble while she slowly closed her eyes.

She muttered: "I'd like to be alone. Would you please go?"

As he felt the familiar stinging in his heart, Elliott offered: "I can stay with you if you need me. The wizard can wait--"

"How am I supposed to get over you when you're in my near?", Leah interrupted him, "Get out, okay? Don't visit me. I'll give you a call as soon as I'm feeling better."

"Good grief, okay, I understood." Elliott thought about what else he could say, however they had reached a point where even he thought that there was nothing left to say.

He hated giving up, but he would wait for Leah, even if she needed an eternity.

After he slipped into his shoes, he said: "Well then, I'll go to the tower now."  
Silent tears ran over Leah's cheeks when she answered: "Take care. Goodbye."

"See you soon."

In the cold of the approaching winter, a harsh breeze untidied Elliott's hair. By now, the ground was covered with a thin layer of snow, but he supposed it would melt soon, like the first snow used to do.

It made crunching sounds under his feet while he walked away from Pelican Town with steady steps.

Elliott felt bitter and morose. If a fairy granted him a wish, he maybe wouldn't have wished to turn back time, but at least it would have been his second choice. He wouldn't have confessed his feelings to Leah. Instead, he would have waited until she felt the same.

What he wanted even more was motivation. His thoughts were circling about Leah and whatever would await him in the tower. Naturally, Elliott knew himself well enough to realize it would be hard to write in the following days.

For now, he unwaveringly made his way through the falling snow and the forest, until he hopefully found the tower soon.

 

 

 


	46. M. Rasmodius, Wizard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first lines are from the previous chapter.

_"I made a big mistake."  
"I know, but that's okay. We all do from time to time. You wouldn't want to know what I did after some nights like this."_

Quietly growling to himself, Elliott trudged through the forest. His mind was filled with memories of the place he once called his home. Much to his own discomfort, he realized that he made more mistakes than he liked to admit. Although he had been oppressed by his manipulative parents, Elliott knew very well that he was part of the problem.

Some years ago, he had been in a similar situation: It was the morning after a night he had spent on a party. Because there was no nonhuman cousin who could magically heal him, Elliott remembered that his head hurt and his mood was terrible on the next day.

The situation came back into his mind, and he started to reminisce...

 

_One of the most important days in Elliott's life had just passed by._

_Yesterday he graduated from high school. With grades like his, nobody could understand how he wouldn't go to an university. Elliott, however, did not care about what they said. He was happy to finally have time for his novel. Since a few weeks, he was doing research about architecture and trains. First ideas were starting to form in his mind._

_Anyhow, he wasn't in the mood for research on this morning. To celebrate their diplomas, Elliott and his classmates had thrown a gigantic party. Correspondingly, he was terribly hungover. A few minutes ago, he had taken a painkiller to cure his mind-numbing, splitting headache. He tried to cure his hangover with electrolyte drinks, a trick he had learned from classmates who went to parties more often than Elliott did, which was no witchcraft considering the fact that he never went to parties._

_His stomach was growling of hunger, but Elliott didn't want to risk anything. Since he woke up from an unrefreshing sleep, he felt a little queasy. Luckily, it wasn't so bad that it would have kept him in bed._

_Like it was typical for him, Elliott already sat at his desk again._

_Although he wasn't fit enough for writing, he read a story he started when he was thirteen, but he never finished it. It was surprising for him to see how much his style had changed over the years._

_The story he read teleported him into a medieval setting. Elliott remembered he had bought a book full of illustrations about various types of dragons beforehand, and it had inspired him so much he wrote a story about shapeshifting dragons who also had a humanoid form. Humanity planned to decrease their number and enslave those who survived. Alrys, a humble dragon servant, has overheard a conversation between human soldiers regarding their plans. His lords, however, wouldn't believe him. When his village was under attack, Alrys could hide while all of his friends were being captured. He had to go and find them, all on his own..._

_When somebody knocked at the door, it woke Elliott from his daydreams, and it annoyed him._

_"What", he mumbled._

_Much to his surprise, it was his father who stepped in._

_"Good morning!", he called out, and it hurt in Elliott's head as if he was hit with a glowing hammer. After a short sigh, he braced himself for whatever would happen next._

_"Hi", Elliott said quickly, "What is it?"_

_David laid a piece of paper onto the desk, obviously cut out of a newspaper. Elliott looked at it briefly and recognized it to be a job offer from a car dealer in Springcross._

_Before he had even read everything, not that he wanted to, David explained: "Look, it was in the newspaper yesterday. Selling cars - wouldn't that be nice? See, you have comfortable work times and you wouldn't have to travel as much as I have, because you said you wouldn't like that. Luckily, I once got to know Mr. Cook, the owner, he's the husband of Grace. You know, Grace from that boutique where your mother always buys her dresses. Anyway, I already called him, and guess what, I organized an internship for you! You can start on Monday, you should be there at 8:30 A.M. and furthermore, he said..."_

_Through the constant speech of his father, Elliott didn't even bother to say anything. David fell silent when his words were interrupted by the sound of ripping paper apart._

_"Elliott, I dare you", he growled when he saw the job offer, now in two pieces, in his son's hands._

_Elliott boldly stared into his eyes, no emotion could be read from his face. He didn't take his eyes off his father while he crumpled the paper to two little balls._

_With the paper in his hand, he extended his arm until it was above the paper bin._

_"Don't you dare, damn it!", David repeated._

_It was useless. Without hesitation, Elliott opened his hand and the job offer glided into the bin silently._

_David never hit his son, but in this moment, he was pretty close. For the blink of an eye, he wanted to smack his sorry face so hard he would apologize a thousand times, preferably in tears. Instead, he stood there and watched how he was stared at, this time with slightly raised eyebrows, as if Elliott wanted to ask: "Anything else you want to annoy me with?"_

_"Okay then, I warned you." David could feel how quickly his pulse accelerated, and he clenched his fist due to his raging anger. "You crossed a line you should never even consider to overstep, and you will be sorry for this. Mark my words - you should never do anything like this again."_

_Then he left the room and slammed the door. Elliott was left there, still silent, and picked his notebook up as if nothing happened._

 

When he remembered his behavior, Elliott felt that he blushed a bit. He was ashamed of what he had done, and there was no way he could justify it. This one time, his father tried to be actually helpful, and even though his attempt didn't mean anything to an author and the timing was bad, he did what he could. Elliott treated his father in a way even he didn't deserve.

In this moment, he made a decision.

If he would ever talk to his father again, he would apologize, no matter how much it would hurt and even if David would say: "See, I told you you will be sorry for it" with his typical smug grin.

His thought was disrupted when a stone tower appeared in his view, a dark grey edifice. Its stones were entwined in ivy. With the deep violet conical roof, the tower looked as if it came straight out of a fairytale. The little timeworn windows made creaking sounds in the cold wind.

Wooden steps led up to a dark brown weathered door. Just to be prepared for the worst case, Elliott laid his sword hand onto the grip when he knocked, although he did not exactly know what the worst case could have been.

A voice answered and Elliott recognized it to be the wizard's.

"Take that hand off your weapon. You won't need it here."

Elliott took a quick look around himself, checking his surroundings for a camera, but he knew he had been seen in a different way, obviously through magic.

"May I keep the sword on my back?", Elliott asked.

"Yes." The door opened with a squeaking sound. "Just consider...every damage you cause, I will give to you a thousand times."

Before Elliott could even see anything, a disgusting smell hit him like a wall. A tangy, pungent stench lingered in the air, so penetrative that it was almost narcotic. He wheezed and coughed while his lungs started to burn.

"Oh, good lord!", he called out in shock, but found back to his manners quickly. "Excuse me, I'm a little sensitive when it comes to smells." Two tears ran out of his burning eyes.

"You will get used to it quickly", the wizard answered, and then Elliott realized that the door had opened all by itself. He was far away from it, at the other end of the room.

"Which...exquisite blend do you ignite in here, if you allow me the curiosity?", he asked while he stepped into the tower.

The magician explained: "It's a special mix of herbs that helps me when I want to focus on the spirits. My mind is clear and lighter under its influence."

"If you say so." When Elliott stepped in, he was in a small room, and the first thing he saw was a gigantic kettle on the left side. It was empty, but had green stains inside, as if they had been burned into the metal over the years.

Through the fog in his mind, dazed by the strong smell of herbs, he could also see that some kind of magical sign was painted onto the wooden planks. Framed by a circle of thick red candles, it looked similar to a pentagram. Only the wizard knew what the circle in the middle meant, with four smaller ones on the right, left, bottom and top side.

All around the room, stacks of books were lying around on the ground. Their covers had foreign signs on it which Elliott had never seen before, but he had no time to focus on that.

At the end of the room, a narrow corridor obviously led to some kind of the wizard's personal library. He could spot old, heavy bookshelves through the dim light, just a little spark in the distance, enough to make him guess what was in that room.

Before he was able to concentrate on more details, the wizard interrupted him: "The spirits act friendly towards you. Humans and the so-called merpeople may sometimes not accept you as one of them, but you live in harmony with nature and the elements. I can feel it."

"Well, I cannot deny that I am doing my best for sure", Elliott agreed. Out of curiosity, he concentrated on auras in his near. There were none to be seen in the tower. The man probably hid his, just like he did the last time. Whatever he called the spirits had no visible aura as well.

He proceeded: "Sir, I do not mean to be rude, but please understand that you clearly woke my interest when you wrote you can answer my questions about curses."  
"Take it slow", the wizard warned him, "And don't make haste. I can't tell you much about curses, actually."

When the corners of Elliott's mouth already sank, he added: "Still, I can tell you who is able to answer all of your questions."

"And who would that be?"

M. Rasmodius, whatever his first name was, took his time before he said anything. With one hand, he stroked his purple goatee. Elliott didn't like his empty expression. It was hard to read the smallest hint of feelings out of it.

In the end, he revealed: "It is the person who cursed you with black magic."

"You mean, I am cursed? Me, not my father?", Elliott wondered.

"Yes, you. Like you can see auras, I immediatly witnessed a layer of blackness over your existence, like I have seen it many times before. A woman bewitched you, although I do not know when she did it. Just because you did not know, it does not mean she did it when you were still a child. She may have done it in any form, as a frog, as a traveller or anybody else."

When his head made up a horrible conjecture, Elliott's heart sank rapidly. The thought hit him like lightning while his entire world started to crumble. A picture of Chrysoula appeared in his mind's eye, the gigantic king Llyr right next to her, and their words about Elliott's father echoed in his memory.

"Oh, Yoba, please...no", Elliott mumbled to himself, "They said that father needed somebody to remove the letters from his skin. Was that why he always stayed with mother, no matter what she did?"

Much to his discomfort, it seemed pretty plausible that his mother was a witch. If she was the one who casted the spell, maybe his father never threw her out because he knew she would tell everyone about his lineage. The thought made Elliott wonder if he hadn't been punished enough for one life already.

"Wait a minute." The wizard stopped Elliott's desperation with a raised hand and his words. "It wasn't your mother. I would know that. The witch who cursed you had children, but you are not one of them."

A relieved sigh crawled out of Elliott's throat. "That's...good. What a mortifying thought that was."

Finally he explained: "That witch is my ex-wife. I can't tell you her name, she uses many of them. Probably you met her as Cylia, the form she mostly has, but she is a shapeshifter. Because she hates aging, she is that young woman most of the time."

"Allow me a moment, please." Overwhelmed by the new impressions, Elliott wanted to think. Luckily, he found a frayed wooden chair in a corner and sat down to take a breath.

"Take your time, magic and everything arcane may seem intimidating to a layman", the wizard offered and went over to the kettle with slow steps.

Somewhen in his life, Elliott had met a witch. It sounded scary to him, obviously it was, given the fact that she had tried her magic on him.

"Do you know which kind of spell she casted on me?", he wondered.

Unfortunately, the wizard shook his head. "I can't. The only thing I see is that she has done it. After living with her for so many years, the black veil over her victims' auras is like a perfume. I can never mistake it for another magician's spell."

"If that is the case..." Elliott played with his hair, but stopped quickly because he didn't want the wizard to see how insecure he felt. "I want to ask her. Can you tell me how to find her?"

The man growled sullenly, shaking his head. "What do you think? That you just go into her house and say _hi, do you have a moment to talk about black magic_? That she will just let you in and you chat while she serves you some coffee?"

"I didn't say anything like--"

"She lives in the mountains, in a cave near the railway station. If you go there unprepared, she will hypnotize you, then she will eat you."

"She will **eat** me?" The plain thought was revolting to Elliott, and his throat felt much too narrow. "You were married to a cannibal? Oh my, that is...somewhat scary."

"It isn't cannibalism if the witch is nonhuman", the wizard mumbled into his beard. Then he proceeded: "There is a way for you to meet Cylia, however. I worked many years on a solution. It is a bit of a longer story. If you want to find out what she did to you, listen to me."

With a deep stare into the magician's unfathomable eyes, Elliott agreed: "Very well. I'd be thankful if you would tell me everything you can."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always wanted the witch to be an actual character! And I always wanted to write that scene at the beginning of the chapter.


	47. Ink and Potion

The wizard pondered about his choice of words. By now, Elliott was a bit used to the herbal smell inside of the tower. Oddly, he even thought it did him good. He felt collected and relaxed, despite the fact he would hear some momentous words.

In the end, the man reminisced: "Cylia...and I'll call her like that from here on, because it's the form she mostly uses, like I already told you...was married to me for many years. Some day, I made a mistake. A huge mistake..." He stared down at the ground, obviously ashamed. "Cylia left me and lost her mind. She started to fly around, cursing everything in her near. I locked her up so she wouldn't cause havoc anymore. Decades have passed since then. Unfortunately, while she lived in isolation, my ex-wife surpassed me in terms of skill. Some time ago, she broke free from her prison. Much to humanity's luck, however, Cylia came back to her senses in the meantime. To be prepared, I looked for a way to lock her up again, if she decides to go berserk once more. In this normal state, I cannot go near her hut, as well as any other human can't. She may not be able to kill me immediately, still she can paralyze me and make me her slave."

Elliott wondered: "Sir, while I am in my other form, the letters on my skin say that I have an extraordinary resistance towards magic. Will this help me when I plan to face Cylia?"

"Not at all. A common mage can't do much to you and you are safer when you face certain monsters, but a great witch like her can snap her finger and turn you into dust before you even entered her hut."

Shameful silence laid upon the room. By now, Elliott could hear something that resembled quiet murmuring, but it was so far away that he wondered if his fantasy maybe just played tricks on him.

"Are those the spirits?", he asked rather bluntly.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Just don't listen to it, it's about a meaningless topic. We have other problems at hand."

"I'm sorry to hear what happened to you and your ex-wife", Elliott proclaimed, "The bonds of love, broken. The invisible connection of trust that once tied you together in good and bad times, it's cut now, how sad."

The magician mumbled something into his beard that Elliott couldn't understand. Probably he wasn't supposed to hear it anyhow. Elliott wondered how old this man was - deriving from what he said, he had seen enough for one life, but who knew which age he could reach with his magic.

"Let's get back to our topic. My ex-wife and how you can overcome her power", he went on, "I was able to develop a magic potion that makes you immune against any kind of magic. If you drink it, you will be safe from Cylia. You must know that most magicians are physically weak, and that doesn't change much even if she switches into a bulkier, taller form. If she can't hex you, you will be fine."

His heart made a little jump when Elliott heard those words. It seemed like his first impression of the wizard deceived him, because he was grateful by now, amazed by the wonderful things this man could do.

He called out: "How truly magnificent! I am honored to be offered such a kind gift. Many thanks, good sir. It won't be for nothing."

"Before you get lost in your enthusiasm...we are not done here. Once again, you are thinking too simple. What do you imagine it to be? You drink that potion, visit Cylia and if the effect might wear off, you just drink some more? This potion is extremely effective, but it has serious side effects, even for me. Compare it with medicine that Doctor Harvey can give you. The better it is, the more side effects can occur, that's how it mostly is, right?"

"Maybe, but can it be so bad?", Elliott wanted to know.

"No, because it's worse. Way worse than you imagine. You will go through hell, and you are the only one who can reckon whether you want to use that potion or not."

"What awaits me" he said, staring sternly at the other man. It wasn't supposed to be a question.

The wizard explained: "That depends. Are you afraid of spiders? They will crawl over your entire body for days. Are you prone to sunburn? You will develop a rash that will leave you bleeding because you won't stop scratching. Are you a daydreamer? Then you will dream while you are awake, but it will be a nightmare that makes you scream until you don't have a voice anymore."

"Like...hallucinations? A colourful, grotesque fever dream?"

After a few slow, thoughtful seconds of nodding, the magician answered: "Something similar. Words can hardly describe it. To give you a slight hint of what could await you, you may taste a spoonful of the potion. You won't notice much, but it will give you an idea."

Although he couldn't deny he was slightly scared, Elliott agreed: "That sounds like a great idea. I will try it. ...Can you answer me a question? Why would you do this for me?"

"I would have told you just now", he proceeded, "Not that I just wanted to do you a favor. When you go to Cylia, you have to take something with you. My magic ink is still in her hut! I...wouldn't want to see her. Because I know you would possibly take the challenge, I give my potion to you. In return, I want to get my ink back. That's fair, I'd say."

"It is, I can't contradict. How will I get the ink? Will your ex-wife give it to me if I ask her politely?", Elliott wanted to know.

"Probably not", the wizard answered, "To be honest, I have no idea what she will demand before she hands it out. In case everything goes wrong, retreat. If you anger her too much, Cylia will punish you after my magic wore off. Possibly she..." He swallowed louder than he intended to and made a sour face. "Maybe she will ask you for your body. **Never** agree, never. I suppose I don't have to tell you why, there should be something like moral in your mind, yes?"

A faint blush appeared on Elliott's cheeks. "Of course. Oh dear, my body...I won't allow her to even ask. Didn't you say you have children? How truly immoral it would be if she tried to seduce somebody who could be her own son."

He explained: "We have a son. He lives in Calico Desert, but distance doesn't matter. In fact, I will need to tell you more about him as soon as you decide to visit my ex-wife, but there will be enough time for that later. Now I will give you a taste of what you might go through. Excuse me for a moment."

Not allowing any contradiction, he rushed off into the back. Somewhere between artifacts and spell books, Elliott heard the clinking sounds of glass. The dim light through the tiny windows was more than fitting for this mysterious place and he hoped it would inspire him.

Actually, what he wanted even more was just seeing everything turn out well.

Sooner than expected, the wizard came back with a pear-shaped vial, filled with dark green clear liquid, and a spoon made of horn. A sparkling light in the potion caught Elliott's interest.

"Are my eyes deceiving me? Is it glittering?", he wondered.

"You seem to have good eyesight. There is a tiny amount of pulverized minerals in it. Gems contain a tremendous amount of arcane energy, if you know how to use them. It won't harm you in this quantity, but why do you think gems are so popular in what you would call esoteric people?" The purple-haired man removed the cork from the vial and poured a few drops onto the spoon. "This is enough already. Later, in an hour or so, you will notice that something changes, in whichever way the potion works in your case. If you actually want to protect yourself against Cylia, you will have to drink the entire bottle and the side effects will occur much later. It always depends on the volume you consume."

With a sceptical look on his face, Elliott took the spoon and sniffed at it. "...It smells like schnapps", he noticed while his nostrils started to burn from the strong alcoholic scent.

Rasmodius nodded. "There is alcohol in it, how else am I suppose to extract something from the herbs? It's not as strong as schnapps, though. Partially, the smell comes from the ingredients themselves. The best potion is useless if it knocks you out just because it makes you drunk. You need clear senses for the time it works."

"This amount won't be bad, right?", Elliott asked.

"Exactly. Like I already said, you will get an idea of what awaits you, but you won't feel pain, you will stay awake and you will also stay in reality, if you are prone to daydreams, what I suppose after your reaction. Nothing serious can happen to you. However, I am a stranger to you. I can understand if you won't take anything from me."

"Uhh...never mind." The thought of sudden retreat was embarressing to him, now that the wizard hoped that Elliott would bring back his magic ink. Letting him down seemed so impolite that he was willing to take the risk.

With one hasty movement, he put the spoon into his mouth and swallowed the potion. Immediatly, a bittersweet taste infested his tongue, so strong that his mouth filled with saliva quickly. While he breathed through his nose, he swallowed over and over again, hoping it would wash the taste off his tongue, which felt as if it was covered in fur. There was a crunching sound between Elliott's teeth – obviously mineral particles.

When the liquid hit his stomach, it felt familiarly hot, but much worse than when he drank anything else. Tiny drips of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Oh my, the taste isn't particularly alluring", Elliott stated, "The taste resembles bitters, but it's so much more revolting."  
"It isn't supposed to taste good, it's meant to save your life and my ink."

"I am aware of this, but I can't stop wondering how I am going to drink this whole bottle at once. I almost can't feel my tongue anymore."

"You can think about that somewhen else. As soon as you made your decision, come to me again. Then we will go through the details."  
"Alright." Elliott nodded and stood up. "I shall make my way back home now; I have to be prepared for winter. Please forgive me if I need a few days...gathering courage isn't something I am good at."

The wizard pulled his hat deeper down and answered: "Take your time, but don't forget it's not just about my ink, it's for your own good as well."

"That makes it even harder for me." A chilly breeze pushed against the door when Elliott opened it just a little bit. Tiny snowflakes landed on the rugged planks.

With one last look over his shoulder, he said: "Thank you for giving me this chance. I promise, it won't go to waste."  
"I hope so", the wizard mumbled, "Goodbye."

A thousand thoughts filled Elliott's mind when he trudged through the forest once again. The cold, dry air tickled in his throat. On some bushes he could still see the last blackberries, and he decided to gather them the next day, if they were still there.

When everything was over, when there was no more drama with Leah, when he had seen Cylia and his problems had vanished, he wanted to reward himself by writing twelve hours at once.

Somehow his intuition told him it would be a while until then.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you think and leave comments.  
> Some of the tags will be fulfilled rather late in the story and are not written yet. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading.


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